Proudly serving the industry for which it was named for more than 50 years, Outdoor Power Equipment provides dealers who sell and service outdoor power equipment with valuable information to succeed in a competitive market.
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FEATURE STORY make the most of the new modular drawer storage solution. Begin by doing a physical inventory, measuring the space available, and preparing layouts showing where all items will be placed. This should tell you how much existing storage is needed, and how much space can be gained. The key to achieving success is to make sure the correct-size parts are stored in the correct-size drawers. Removing fixed shelves spaced 10 to 15 inches apart removes a considerable amount of air. One rule of thumb is that three to five sections of shelving (about 9-15 linear feet) can be con- densed down to a single eye-level cabinet measuring about 28 inches by 28 inches. Another way of looking at it is that shelving 18 inches deep and 84 inches tall is underutilized and uses no more than 50 percent of its capacity, and sometimes as low as 30 percent. Using the complete cubic storage ca- pacity of each drawer allows the parts department to store the correct parts in the correct drawers. Justifying storage investment — free up your floor space for more valuable activities The discussion on getting rid of wasted space brings us to another im- portant consideration — better control of inventory frees up space for more valuable activities. High-density storage solutions are a significant investment, so how does the dealership justify the expense? Those hulking, gray, dusty storage shelves can be transformed into square footage that can be used for expanding the wholegoods displays on the selling floor, or for taking on new lines without needing additional storage space. For example, Spencer, Mass.-based Ahearn Equipment, Inc. was running out of space to store parts for the ever-expanding product lines it was adding. The fast-growing dealership had tripled in size following a building expansion about five years earlier. The company offers a broad product line, with about 60-percent residential and 40-percent commercial. "We provide products from air freshener for your car to specialty excavators for contrac- tors," says Jeremy Ahearn, the dealership's general manager. Ahearn stored parts in hundreds of plastic bins on metal shelves and found there was a tremendous amount of space between the top of the shelf and the bin. "Bins were overflowing, and the parts were also getting very dirty," said Ahearn. "Our facility is actually very clean, but I didn't real- ize how much the parts were collecting dust and fading when they sat in the bins." Not wanting to add on again and incur the expenses of more bricks and mortar, Ahearn turned to Bob Clements International, Inc. to help them figure out a way to reduce their parts department footprint while still al- lowing them to expand the number of parts they could carry. "We found that our old plastic bin system was not efficient and organized enough," Ahearn adds. "We frequently were losing parts that would fall out of the bins or were of odd sizes and would not fit well into the bins." Ahearn installed 14 cabinets made by Lista International. Since each deal- ership is different, Lista begins each project by conducting an inventory, at no additional charge, to get an idea of how many drawers are needed for the in- ventory carried, the best drawer sizes, and other storage needed for their par- ticular inventory. Each of the cabinets at Ahearn has a variety of drawer sizes. "This product best suited us because we deal with a lot of different size parts, the majority of which are smaller than a basketball," said Ahearn. The way the dividers are designed enabled Ahearn to remove parts from their packaging and place the parts in a way that they can be easily found. "It's manageable and aesthetically pleasing," Ahearn said. "The parts depart- ment has reduced its footprint by 50 percent and an additional positive fea- ture is that our parts no longer collect dust."Ahearn now plans on staffing one less person in its parts department, making the return on investment only about six months. Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. Business Management Software TOP 10 REASONS TO BUY MEKANIX CHOICE BUSINESS SOFTWARE From Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. ❶ IT IS VERY AFFORDABLE ❷ VERY EASY TO USE ❸ WILL SAVE YOU MONEY ❹ IS PROVEN AND TESTED ❺ IS BEING USED BY LARGE AND SMALL BUSINESSES ALIKE ❻ COMES WITH A FREE INTERFACE TO QUICK BOOKS ❼COMES WITH UP TO 20 FREE PRICE FILES ❽COMES WITH A DATA SERVER AND 5 USER LICENCE ❾COMES WITH 1 YEAR FREE SUPPORT ❿COMES WITH GREAT REFERENCES Visit us at www.pathfindercs.biz Call for details 330-928-1961 or email sales@pathfindercs.biz 26 OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT www.outdoorpowerequipment.com $1000 OFF our already low priced package till December 31st 2011 OPE