Every warehouse is aware of—and uses—basic, traditional steel shelving. A system of beams and uprights, for many years it was simply that—a place to store your pallet loads and that’s where it ended. Today, however, steel shelving is available in a wide variety of configurations and with myriad options. Best of all, these options are easily integrated and available under the umbrella of one manufacturer, rather than having to piece together a puzzle from multiple sources.

Historically, that wasn’t the case. A customer would buy a rack system from one manufacturer, something like drawers from another, and shelves from yet another. There was no guarantee all these parts would fit nicely together, and the cost was usually higher when dealing with multiple suppliers. Today, however, you can single-source shop, which provides numerous benefits.

For instance, if you determine that your shelving should have drawers, your racking provider can now generally provide that. Even more, your manufacturing partner can work with you to optimize the combinations of shelving and drawers you need. This allows you to store a wider variety of items, all in one simple unit.

Say you need doors for some of your shelves and not for others—having one provider of all the parts will allows you to mix and match as needed. Prior to today’s integration, you might have needed to buy a traditional locking cabinet in order to have items under lock and key. However, that cabinet might have been bigger and more expensive than you needed or had budget for. With one provider able to customize your solutions to your exact needs, you save on time, money, and space.

Another advantage of today’s integrated systems is that you get denser storage options, saving you space and maximizing your cube. In some cases, you can double or triple your storage capacity via the newer integrated configurations available. Rather than more of what you already have—standard steel shelving—you have smarter, more sophisticated options. You can avoid the conversations with your real estate agent for bigger facilities, saving a great deal of money.

Your racking partners can learn what your needs are, tour your facility, learn your processes, and then help develop solutions. You can see these via a drawing/CAD drawing that will help you understand and visualize what your new solutions might be. Adding in a local engineer, who understands side issues like seismic activity, you can ensure your new system will meet all requirements.

Steel shelving goes beyond “I need shelving” these days. The sophisticated, integrated systems available to you offer endless products, design options, and creativity. You can overcome pain points, expand your storage capacity, and drive up the efficiency of your operations, all from one provider.