Most businesses, when looking at buying pallet racks, or industrial storage for a non-profit organization do not realize that there is more than one solution. In fact, most of them do not know that the industrial storage they are looking for is called pallet racks. If you are in this position then you have found some help for your non-profit company. We will try to help you figure it all out so that you can make the best choice for your organization.
Missed part one? Click “part one” to read it now.
Selective Rack and Industrial Storage for a Non-Profit
The first thing you should know is that the most basic kind of rack is the selective rack. In fact, it is most likely the kind you have in mind when you first start thinking of getting a solution. Why? It is like the shelving you have at home right now. You just place things on your shelves as you please. Hence, that is why the name of the product is “selective rack”. You select how are you going to set up your inventory or your products on the shelves without the system dictating how you should do it.
Another Popular Industrial Storage for a Non-Profit – a Push Back Rack
The next most popular type is called a “push-back” rack. They are popular because they handle a high amount of product in a very defined area. It is very efficient at holding the product. However, it pretty much needs you to store the same product in the line. However, there are ways to set it up but that is the way that it is intended to be used. The good news is that it does not need you to follow a first in/first out set up. Therefore, if you do not have an expiration date on whatever it is that you need to store then a push back rack is probably a good idea.
Combining with Another Type of Rack
It can even be combined with another version of a rack which is a drive-in rack. A lot of companies who have a high volume actually use this set up as well. Basically, this setup means that you load a product into the rack then it gets pushed back by the next item you put into the slot. Therefore, the newest is always leaving before older ones. Again, if you have to follow a FIFO method of storage then this might not what you need in your non-profit business.
FIFO and Your Industrial Storage Solution of Choice
However, if you do need to follow a FIFO method then you should consider using a “pallet flow rack”. A pallet flow rack is very similar to a push back rack but in reverse. You load the newest product in the back and that means that the older product will leave the rack first. A good thing if you have to worry about expiration dates. In fact, if you are food or medical business then this is very likely the rack you need for what you do. FIFO can be difficult to maintain at times and having a rack that can assist in the process may be the best idea.
Those are just some of the most popular types of racks. There are others but those are the ones that most non-profit organizations use. Hopefully, you have seen a rack that will work for your situation. If not, then stay tuned, we will be talking more about the other types soon.
