When it comes to the warehouse and logistics industry, pallets are among the most important pieces of equipment. However, distribution sites, storage facilities, and fulfillment centers have a lot on their plate, with several moving parts requiring attention. Because of this, managing your pallets can take a backseat to other important endeavors.
The good news is that certain companies specialize in pallet management services that make it more manageable for facilities. Instead of spreading your staff and business too thin, why not outsource the hard work to a reputable agency? If you still need convincing, here are the benefits of pallet management services and how they can improve your operations.
What Are Pallet Management Services?
Pallet management refers to any and all tasks dedicated to handling, maintaining, and optimizing pallets as they make their way through the supply chain. Pallet management services seek to address various considerations, such as:
- pallet specifications and build
- quality, inventory, and cost management
- pallet removal and other used packaging materials as they exit the supply chain.
Whether you need to fix broken equipment or purchase new pallets altogether, a pallet management service can provide you with the right resources.
Advantages of Pallet Management Services
There are so many benefits of pallet management services that you don’t want to miss. Investing in these services is crucial if you want to make the most out of your business’ time, space, and energy. With supply chain issues affecting everyone, it’s more important to stay on top of your inventory now than ever. This doesn’t just include products intended for shipping; this also includes your standard operating equipment, like pallet inventories.
Typical lead times run anywhere between two days to two weeks for recycled versus newly manufactured pallets. With today’s supply chain delays, pallet lead times can be anywhere between a week, upwards of six weeks out. Let’s look at some of the advantages pallet management services can provide businesses.
Dependable Pallet Supply
Having a dependable pallet supply source is crucial if you want to run an efficient warehouse. This is especially true if you run a high-volume facility with an enormous amount of inventory. If you don’t have pallets to place products on, it can slow or even shut down your entire operation.
In today’s marketplace where there’s a pallet shortage due to the higher shipping demands in consumer and other business sectors, more products are being shipped and pallets are in higher demand. With that said, FALM uses creative strategies such as having multiple suppliers in place to handle higher volumes or even serve as back-up suppliers. That can even be said with shipping pallets greater distances in order to fulfill demand.
Optimize Space
Another key benefit of pallet management services is their ability to optimize your space. Managing your entire pallet inventory alone can be challenging, especially if you have a large facility with many products of different shapes and sizes. In-house pallet management often leads to an overabundance of inventory left stacked on the work floor, taking up valuable space.
Pallet management systems stay on top of your inventory for you. You’ll never have to worry about storing old or damaged pallets on site. Instead, pallet management companies will do the work for you, allowing you to utilize the renewed space for essential operations like additional product storage.
Increase Safety Standard
Having too many pallets at your location poses a safety risk for your staff. Allowing unused pallets to occupy your site increases tripping hazards that could severely injure employees. You also risk allowing damaged or broken pallets into the workflow when you keep them for too long, increasing the likelihood of pallet failure that could be detrimental to your operations or lead to product damage.
Pallet management services take the danger out of your facility by removing damaged pallets and offering high-quality products as a replacement. Some services also allow you to buy new and used pallets that professionals have restored to their former glory. This allows your establishment to safely operate while reducing the amount of waste you’re generating.
Access to Repairs
Businesses that offer pallet services don’t just remove old pallets and supply shippable ones; they also offer repair services so you can repurpose your more specialized or costly pallets. When pallets sustain minor damage, fixing them is often cheaper than replacing them entirely. Pallet management companies have knowledgeable staff that can develop a pallet recovery and repair program in a reasonable amount of time.
Sometimes, it’s challenging to manage your pallet needs with what’s available to buy. Some pallet programs have a variety of new, used, or a combination of the two. Pallet management companies can offer valuable insight to help you make the best decisions for your warehouse. These helpful services will allow you to spend your money wisely, which will reduce costs and help you reinvest in your establishment.
Improves Organization
Efficiently handling your pallet inventory improves your facility’s organization. Pallet management services will optimize your operations, enhancing communication between your staff and customers alike. Clients are more likely to work with your warehouse if they know that you offer reliable storage and fulfillment services. Improving your pallet situation is one way to prove your competence.
When you have access to a reliable source that provides high-quality pallet options, your facility will be able to fulfill orders at a more effective rate. This helps your relationship with customers and brings more money into your facility by accomplishing more tasks at a faster pace. Ultimately, employing the help of a management company for your pallet inventory improves your establishment’s image with your clientele while saving you valuable time, money, and resources.
How to Pick the Right Pallet Management Company
Now that you know how pallet management companies can improve your operations, the next step is hiring a reputable service provider. The right company will have a stellar customer service department ready to assist you in all of your needs. They will also offer various services, like buy-back programs, recycling, and pickup services.
First Alliance Logistics Management can offer your facility all of this and more. Whether you’re looking to buy new and used pallets or simply need to optimize your current operations, we are here to help. Check out our website or contact us today to employ a reputable pallet management service that is right for you.
