If you own or manage a warehouse, it may be tough to decide when the time is right to give your storage system an overhaul. If you're not sure if updating is for your business, here are two good reasons to go ahead with the project, from both the perspective of making your warehouse run more smoothly and repurposing your current storage elements.

1. New pallet racking systems have many advantages.

If you haven't looked at pallet racking systems for a while, it's time to take a peek. Today's units are far more efficient and safety conscious than in the past. Some new features include:

• mobile and push-back racking that lets you squeeze more storage into a smaller amount of real estate
• live, or first in, first out (FIFO) racking, ideal for perishables and pharmaceuticals
• drive-in pallet racking, including narrow-aisle racking that allows your lift operator to get closer to the merchandise without sacrificing space
• clad-rack systems, where the racking is part of the building framework
• more stable structures and welded connections, allowing for more vertical reach

2. You can recycle and upcycle your old pallet racking and skids.

If you're concerned about wasting your old storage system components, you can stop worrying. You can use your older pallet racking and pallets in other capacities. 

Many businesses in today's still struggling economy have a need for storage that goes beyond the warehouse volume. Rather than expand or move, both of which are costly, disruptive, and time-consuming, renting an off-site storage unit is a good choice. 

A storage unit is an ideal place to house things from your company that don't need to be taking up precious warehouse space, like:

• old HR records
• financial documents the IRS requires you to save for a number of years
• extra office supplies
• office equipment and furniture
• holiday items
• seasonal inventory or items not currently being moved

The best way to make use of your off-site storage space is to treat it like your warehouse and employ vertical storage solutions. You can assemble components from your old pallet racking in the storage unit, along with whatever skids you need as a base for material being shelved. 

Any leftover pallets can easily be upcycled into all kinds of useful and decorative items for your warehouse. A pallet can be cleaned, sanded, stained, and adorned with hooks, then bolted on end against a wall as a chic, industrial-style coat and bag rack. The same treatment can yield a great looking rack for tools and maintenance equipment.

Half of the top side of a pallet can likewise be mounted on the wall to hold coffee mugs in the break room. Tipped at an angle and painted a bright color, a pallet can also be used as a bike rack outside for employees. 

There's no need to do anything fancy to a pallet to use it as a holder for brooms, mops, rakes, and other landscaping tools. Simply stand it on its end, and secure it to the desired wall. A pallet can even be used to create a vertical garden, a great addition to beautify the front door or grow produce for your employees' meals. 

Your warehouse should be a model of efficiency in order for you to take in the highest profit possible. Consult a pallet racking specialist today about improving your warehouse space, and you can do it knowing none of your old storage system needs to go to waste. 

Contact a company like Commercial Hardware for more help.