Why Specify VNA Equipment?

When setting up a warehouse there is one very specific brief: ‘Utilise the available space in the most efficient manner possible’. In order to do this you will obtain & compare information through various ideas of how to enhance the two things that make a warehouse profitable, Utilisation & Efficiency.

How many times have you entered a warehouse only to find forklift aisles wider than they need to be or a massive space between the top of the highest stored pallet to the actual roof height? These unnecessary fresh air spaces are the window that may save you thousands of dollars.

There is no greater cost drain or burden to a business than having to move unnecessarily, of course when the available space is full you have no choice, but in most instances there’s plenty of fresh air space in existing premises or more importantly, new buildings should have been built higher to maximise the specifications of the materials handling suppliers equipment.

Things you endure when moving include transport costs, additional labour costs, pallet racking costs, forklift rental costs, let alone the interruptions to your standard day to day business that creates your profits. What about the hidden costs such as literature, business cards & brochures that has to be re-printed or even worse the loss of already trained employees that aren’t happy travelling to the new site. Moving costs tens & in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the size of the company, something you want to avoid wherever possible.

Recently I have read advertisements that suggest it is cheaper for you to build warehouses that are longer & wider as opposed to higher? Land prices are at a premium, hence more & more people opting out of superannuation for property investment. Sure it will cost more to make a warehouse 20 meters high rather than 9, but not more than doubling the length or width. Whatever is above the building footprint is fresh air & more importantly free, use it!

After consultation with a leading construction company & local industrial real estate agent, the following was concluded:

• Cost to build a 3600 sqmt building with a 9 meter roof height which would house 6160 pallets utilising 6000mm high pallet racking frames with beam heights at 1500mm increments, would cost approximately $2,340,000.
• Cost to build the same size building with a 20 meter roof height, which would then house 14784 pallets utilising 16500mm high frames with beam heights at 1500mm increments, would cost approximately $3,168,000.
• In order to house 14784 pallets in a facility that only has a 9 meter roof height, the area required increases to 8505 sqmt’s at an approximate cost of $5,528,250.

Of course pricing will vary depending upon different states & suburbs, but the ratio of the building costs will remain the same. Not all businesses are suitable to operate Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) equipment, but many are & they work in conjunction with counterbalance or reach forklifts. By knowing how to maximise the available space efficiently, you will save your organisation thousands or millions of dollars.