Racking Reconfiguration: How to Get More From Your Existing Warehouse
When warehouse managers ask whether they can get more capacity from their existing space, the instinctive answer is often to think about adding more racking. But before investing in additional equipment, it's worth asking a different question: is your existing racking configuration working as hard as it could?
In many warehouses, the answer is no. Configurations that were set up for one set of requirements may not be optimised for current stock profiles, pallet heights, or operational patterns. A structured review can often identify meaningful capacity improvements without any additional racking.
What a reconfiguration review looks at
Beam levels and pallet heights
Beam levels are set at installation to accommodate the pallets being stored at the time. Over time, stock profiles change — pallet heights vary, product ranges evolve, and the original beam configuration may no longer be optimal.
If your beam levels are set higher than your current pallets require, you may be able to add an additional beam level within the existing upright height. That means more pallet locations from the same footprint.
Conversely, if you're storing taller pallets than the racking was originally configured for, you may be using fewer levels than the uprights could accommodate with a different beam arrangement.
Pick faces and storage configuration
In warehouses with a mix of pick faces and bulk storage, the balance between the two may have shifted over time. A review of how pick faces are configured — and whether the current arrangement reflects actual picking patterns — can identify opportunities to recover bulk storage capacity or improve pick efficiency.
Aisle widths
Aisle widths are typically set to accommodate the forklift equipment in use at the time of installation. If the equipment has changed — or if the original specification was conservative — there may be scope to reduce aisle widths and recover floor space.
This needs to be assessed carefully. Aisle widths affect turning circles, load handling, and safe operation. Any reduction needs to be verified against the equipment being used.
Adapting to current stock requirements
Stock profiles change. Products that were stored in one configuration may now be better suited to a different arrangement. A review of how your current stock is being stored — and whether the racking configuration is optimised for it — can identify opportunities that aren't obvious from day-to-day operations.
What needs to be assessed before making changes
This is important: racking configurations should not be changed without proper assessment.
Beam levels, upright capacities, and bay loads are all interrelated. Changing beam levels affects the load distribution on the uprights. Adding additional beam levels increases the total load on the frame. Reducing aisle widths affects the turning circles and load handling of the equipment in use.
Any proposed changes need to be checked against the racking manufacturer's specification and, where necessary, assessed by a qualified engineer. Changes that look straightforward can have structural implications that aren't immediately obvious.
At True Space Solutions, we assess proposed changes against the racking specification before implementing them. We don't make changes that haven't been properly evaluated — and we advise customers when a proposed change isn't appropriate.
What reconfiguration can achieve
Done properly, a reconfiguration review can deliver meaningful capacity improvements from existing racking. We've helped customers across the Midlands recover significant numbers of pallet locations through beam-level adjustments, pick-face reconfiguration, and layout changes — without any additional racking investment.
The gains vary depending on the warehouse and the existing configuration. But in our experience, warehouses that haven't been reviewed since installation often have more capacity available than they realise.
The right time to review
Before peak season is a good time to carry out a reconfiguration review — but only if there's enough time to implement any changes before Q4 arrives. A review that identifies improvements in late October may not leave enough time to complete the work before peak.
If you're considering a reconfiguration review, the time to start is now.