separate facilities are used. You can simply
utilize the same staff.
ROOM AT THE TOP
One of the questions often asked when it
comes to work platforms is what applications they’re best suited for. According to
the experts, the field is pretty much wide
open. Work platforms can accommodate
picking operations, sorting systems, fast-response processing, slow-moving inventory, value-added services, and more.
Depending on the application, work platforms can be staffed by employees or simply used to house equipment. They can
also hold conveyors that feed larger systems, such as automated storage and
retrieval systems, although some work
platforms are built simply to keep conveyors off the facility floor so that lift trucks
can cross underneath.
“Conveyors are a natural fit, but slower
movers can also go there. It’s a matter of
how it fits into the entire operation of a
facility,” says Tripp Eskridge, senior vice
president of project and development
services for industrial real estate developer Jones Lang LaSalle.
Companies looking to get the most out
of their DC space may want to consider
using their work platforms for highly
automated functions. Dense storage units,
such as vertical lift modules, shuttle systems, and carousels, allow large quantities
of goods to be held in a minimal amount
of space. Platforms are also good for
housing workstations, such as picking or
packing areas for order fulfillment.
Goods-to-person stations can also find a
home on work platforms.
Work platforms can also be a good
solution for seasonal operations, either to
handle certain products seasonally or to
accommodate overflow volumes during
peak periods. (And if you’re looking to
add a work platform, off-season is a good
time for the installation, since there is less
stress on the facility.)
When considering whether to add a
work platform to an existing building, it’s
important to make sure the concrete floor
can support the weight of the platform
and its load. This is especially true if the
platform is intended to hold heavy, dense
storage or automated equipment. Floors
can usually be reinforced if found to
be lacking.
Also, consider what role the plat-
form will play now and in the future.
If future uses cannot be easily deter-
mined, then it’s better to design a
work platform that can support more
weight than you need now than to
have to retrofit and reconfigure later.
Because of the way they’re construct-
ed, work platforms can also be relo-
cated within the facility or to another
building if needed down the road.
