Here, Hyster looks at five key considerations to keep industrial manufacturer’s operations competitive.
1. Cost
Every business will already have an eye on costs. A warehouse is a significant cost factor in itself, as is the materials handling fleet that serves it.
Initial purchase or lease costs are only part of the equation. Looking at whether equipment delivers on a low cost of ownership is perhaps as important. Associated running costs relating to power, maintenance, and repair can all add up. This makes it important to consider the dependability and resilience of equipment that will be working in the tough environment of an industrial manufacturing site.
Tough Hyster warehouse trucks provide equipment you can count on, helping reduce unplanned costs, while also helping to avoid downtime. When trucks are up and running, operations get the support they need to be both productive and profitable.
2. Space
With rising property and energy costs, large storage areas can prove expensive and time intensive for manufacturers to manage. Warehouse capacity and layout should be under continual review in line with changing requirements and customer demands to optimise both efficiencies and budgets.
Whether you choose to take your racking higher, or make use of outdoor storage areas, Hyster has solutions to meet your demands. Hyster Reach Trucks are robust and durable, with high visibility to support operator productivity. Options such as a 14-metre mast, and choices to customise the right guard and cabin features help match the truck to the specific application. For those that require storage both inside and outside, the Hyster Outdoor Reach truck enables tough operations to specify one truck that can do it all, offering both potential productivity and cost benefits.
3. Operators
Meeting the needs of materials handling operators helps your business to stand out in a competitive labour market. Supporting the workforce with equipment that is comfortable can not only help improve operator satisfaction, but also help reduce unnecessary strain and fatigue that may otherwise lead to lost working days.
Many manufacturers may also rely on temporary workers in the warehouse. In this case, equipping your business with a warehouse equipment fleet that is intuitive to operate can be the difference between having confident operators that can perform well, and having operators that take time to get up to speed, impacting overall productivity.
For some warehouses, extending automation from the factory to the storage operation may also be a consideration for tackling labour concerns. Hyster Robotics may suit some applications looking to free up staff from repetitive tasks, so they can contribute greater value elsewhere.
4. Adaptability
Throughout the year, there may be peaks in manufacturing, resulting in greater demand in the warehouse. To tackle this, materials handling equipment fleets can be created with an element of scalability to better cope with challenges outside of the norm. Telematics, such as the Hyster Tracker wireless asset management solution, can help provide data on fleet utilisation and maintenance requirements to help manage busier times for handling in the warehouse.
And what about dealing with unexpected peaks? It is important to have a plan in place for these eventualities. This could include adding Short Term Rental or used equipment to the fleet, both of which are available from a local Hyster dealer.
5. Sustainability
External factors such as regulations or consumer expectations are putting pressure on some industrial manufacturing businesses to re-evaluate their materials handling fleet emissions. The best power option will always depend on the particular needs of the storage application in question. Here, local Hyster dealers can provide advice.
This may include re-evaluating your battery type, with interest growing in lithium-ion batteries in particular. Not least because they offer the benefit to ‘opportunity charge’ during breaks, for example, helping to keep tough operations running with high uptime. All with the advantages of ‘clean power’ and no tailpipe emissions. Many Hyster warehouse equipment models are available with a lithium-ion battery option, or designed to be ready for longer term needs, should you decide to switch from lead-acid to lithium-ion in the future.
Take a deeper dive
If your industrial manufacturing business needs to consider these areas, and more, in depth, our latest whitepaper ‘Factors Driving Change in Industrial Manufacturing Warehouses’ may help support you. You can also find out more about ‘tough and ready’ Hyster warehouse equipment solutions here.
Need more advice?
Your local Hyster dealer is expert in identifying the right warehouse equipment solutions for industrial manufacturing businesses like yours. Reach out today for support to overcome your challenges.
