Organizing your backroom inventory might seem like an impossible task, but it’s not. There are actually many methods of organizing all of this. That means you get the benefit of not only bringing order to the backroom chaos but also the opportunity to decide on the best organizational method for your business.
Create a Hanging Bay
Block off part of your backroom using tape, markers, or any kind of dividing barrier you choose. Put it close to the front doors of the backroom. Your hanging bay is a space specifically for inventory that is about to be rolled out into your primary business area. Whether it’s hot-selling inventory to put on your sales floor or just ingredients your cooks need in the kitchen, have a place for organizing priority goods that are going out faster than the rest.
Label Everything
How much time do you and your employees waste just opening things and trying to figure out what’s inside of them? Label everything you can. In fact, leave some kind of labeling tools in the backroom that everyone can use, even if it’s just masking tape and a marker. Better yet, store everything in transparent containers for visual identification.
Use Vertical Space
Does your backroom have shelves up and down the walls? If not, you need to install them to create more actual square footage of storage space. Even if you do have shelves, are any of them restricted to staying under certain weight limits? Upgrading to polymer shelving might increase your weight capacity so you can get more inventory off of the floor.
Just Clean It Up
You may have previously had things organized, but it just fell by the wayside. Maybe you had some people out sick or on vacation, or your business just went through an unusually busy period. Get a few people in there, and just start cleaning up the backroom. Some organization will make itself obvious as you work your way through the room.
Keeping your backroom inventory organized is essential for many reasons. You need to know what you have available so you know when to order more. You also want things accessible so that people can find and get what they need quickly. It also just improves morale and mood among everyone in your business when they get to work in a tidy and clean place, even where customers can’t see it.
