Storage and handling is an integral part of operating a timber business – doing it safely and cost-effectively can create a working environment that’s a ‘win win’; staff, site visitors and customers are safer while the business is more efficient and profitable.
Time moves on and the advances in handling and storage equipment over recent years have been immense. The following articles can only help to give a small flavour of what is available, but for any forward thinking timber business, correctly planned investment in storage and handling will significantly improve efficiency, safely.
It is a combination of all these elements, together with planned maintenance and checking, for operational and safety reasons, that actually creates the best payback over a longer period of time.
What also needs to be considered is the cost of not improving in these areas. Recruiting high calibre staff and retaining them requires ongoing training and the provision of good facilities.
Land values continue to rise and the pressure to increase stockholdings in smaller areas all increases the pressure for well thought out storage.
Many timber businesses rely on visiting customers who are also cash rich, time poor – servicing their requirements quickly and efficiently is crucial; exposing goods “to the danger of a sale” will improve profitability.
Efficient storage and handling can massively reduce two other key areas of cost – labour and product damage. Improvements will save labour on a typical site, while also minimising damage, that great hidden cost which often only appears at the financial year end when a physical stocktake identifies problems. By this time it’s too late to do anything and the business’ projected profitability reduces after stock write downs.
However, any successful capital investment programme is only as good as the ongoing maintenance that keeps it in full operational condition, safely. Therefore training, servicing and inspection is an integral part of the whole package.
