A cold storage environment still requires inventory counts. Doing a physical inventory count in a cold storage facility poses numerous challenges. Luckily, Monarch has the proper equipment and highly-trained team to perform a cold storage inventory accurately and safely.
Well…. It’s Cold
One of the biggest challenges of a cold storage inventory is obviously the temperature. Cold storage can range from refrigerator-type units to zero and sub-zero environments.
Depending on the temperature of the cold storage, you often can’t stay in for longer than 15 to 20 minutes at a time, and our team needs the right equipment and gear to keep themselves safe.
Working in cold storage also affects your body, making the count more challenging. If it is a full physical inventory count that will take longer than 15 to 20 minutes, then we will rotate our team members to keep everyone safe. We have a rigid process that allows our staff to rotate without compromising the accuracy of the count.
A Cold Storage Environment Poses Space Challenges
Cold storage environments often pose a space restriction. They usually utilize all of the available space. Sometimes there is only a drive aisle open that our team can use during the count. This means there’s not enough space to pull out items.
In some cases, we will bring the stock to the shipping area, making it easier to count. Although this helps us get accurate results, it does impact the count efficiency, making it take longer. Because there is only space for one forklift, moving the stock in and out of the cold storage can take time and effort. You can rest assured that our teams are efficient and accurate, so they will get the inventory back into cold storage before it is compromised.
Many cold storage facilities use push-back racking. Sometimes there is a mix of different freight, for example, having steak and chicken in the same area. A disorganized cold storage environment with different SKUs means that our team will have to pull out each rack to verify the products before inventory.
Monarch is Prepped for Cold Storage Inventory
Not all inventory service providers have the equipment to deal with a cold storage inventory. Monarch has purchased the equipment that allows us to complete a count safely and efficiently because it is like being out in the elements.
Some equipment has a limitation in sub-zero settings. But our equipment is at the far end of this limitation and is accurate up to -20 degrees. Not only do we have the right equipment and gear, but our inventory process is rigid and allows us to efficiently complete a count regardless of the environment.
Let Us Help You Inventory Your Cold Storage Environment
Monarch offers a range of turnkey inventory options. We understand that each business has different needs, and we work closely with our clients to help them get the most from their inventory count.
A cold storage facility requires the same stock management as a retail store. Although it does pose certain challenges, we offer our clients the same level of care, communication, detail, and accuracy, whether we are inventorying cold storage or a warehouse.
Our service team will ask for more details about how much stock we will be inventorying and the type of inventory you need so that we can ensure that we have the right systems and equipment to get the job done. Having some images of your cold storage and understanding how the locations of broken out will allow us to set margins and be more efficient on the day of the count.
So, if you have a cold storage environment you want us to inventory, contact our service team for a free estimate.
