Important Questions To Ask Your Pallet Rack Installer
By: Larry Rausch – Vice President of Sales and Marketing
We hear this all the time, “When can you start”? This should actually be the last question you ask a professional rack system installer. Much research should be given to this process if you want the end product to be as efficient as possible. This post explores the pieces of the dudilligence process a facilities manager should focus on to ensuring you make the correct hire.
Hiring an installation crew is more than just asking when they are available to install your racks. Warehouse pallet racking is a large capital expenditure with long-term expectations. It deserves careful consideration through the entire design, engineering, manufacturing and, yes, installation process. Meaning that your expectations for excellence from your design team has to carry through to your installation team. How do you ensure that you get such a team on board to construct your pallet racking system? Here are 5 Key Questions you should ask upfront before settling on an installer.
5 Key Pallet Rack Installation Questions
- Is the company experienced and employ professional rack installers?
- Are they a full-service materials handling systems integration company?
- What is their focus on safety?
- Are they insured & equipped to handle the build?
- How do they handle difficulties on-site?
1 – Is the company and employees professional rack installers?
High quality professional rack installers are experts at their trade. They understand the intricacies of each system which is ever more critical today as pallet racking systems have become more complex and often have multiple storage solutions within the same racking configuration.
Other rack systems must be configured with automation – whether it’s autonomously guided vehicles (AGVs), pallet shuttles, robotic picking arms, or built-in order picking technology. An experienced professional will know what to be prepared for and how to handle any on-site challenges with the installation process.
2 – Are they a full-service company?
The value of a one-company, full-service solution is that support is always readily available and job urgency is shared across every division. If difficulties come up on-site, a solid team will dedicate the necessary resources to solve the challenge and keep the rack installation progressing. In addition, a custom fabrication shop that can manufacture any special, custom parts or additional safety components such as rack or column guards, overhead protection, safety rails, etc., is important. No need to wait for a custom order from a manufacturer.
3 – What is their focus on safety?
Seems like something that should be a given but it’s not always. Workplace safety should be a top priority and your new team should know and follow OSHA guidelines and any building code and customer-specific requirements, if any.
Question 4 – Are they insured and equipped to handle the build?
Make sure your installers are fully insured, and their team brings all necessary equipment for the installation and is trained in proper use techniques. Whether heights, facility temperature, floor inconsistency, etc. our project foreman knows the questions to ask and pitfalls to watch out for to best prepare the team. They should typically perform an onsite inspection before the build to ensure that they arrive at your site with everything they need to complete the project.
Question 5 – How do you handle difficulties on-site? Even with an abundance of preparation, experience teaches us that you can plan for the unexpected but something unexpected may still happen. An experienced crew has an instinctual way to handle some matters and in general when you are well prepared you are better situated to handle difficulties quickly and reliably to keep the project moving forward. In addition, your installation team should have the support of a full-service company behind them for engineering, operations, and even sourcing if needed.
In Conclusion
Detailed research should be completed during the process of hiring a professional rack installation team if you want the end product to be as efficient as possible. From drilling into their depth of experience, to understanding their focus on safety, making the right hire can be the difference between success and disaster
We hope this post provided you helpful information as it relates to best practices in hiring a professional racking system installer. To speak with one of our technical experts, please call 1-216-229-9300. And thank you for reading our post.
