When your organization decides to install new industrial racking, it’s easy to just focus on the product and its features: the steel, the uprights, the beams, the capacity, the safety improvements.

But for a successful, high-ROI project, the teams responsible for the installation of said racking need to view the system not just as hardware, but as a product; i.e., a mission-critical asset that must be integrated seamlessly into your entire operation.

Here at Dexco, we’ve seen countless projects go from concept to completion. We’ve seen firsthand the difference between a smooth installation and one riddled with costly delays and post-launch problems. We’ve learned through our years of experience that success often comes down to one key approach: treating the project like a robust product development cycle and closely managing each step of the installation along the way.

Here are the five product management essentials, including the most common and most forgotten tasks, that every company needs to think about before the first piece of steel arrives.

1. Deep Discovery and User Mapping

A product manager’s first job is to understand the user. In the racking and storage world, your “users” are your inventory, your forklifts, and your personnel. Don’t just measure what you have; map what you’ll need.

Don’t assume standard racking will work for everything. Have you audited materials that need special rack features? Items like coils, chemicals, or large irregular parts require specific additions (e.g., coil cradles, drip pans, fork entry bars) that must be designed in from day one. Failing to account for these can create costly, time-consuming field modifications on the best of days.

Key Tasks to Remember:

• Audit Current and Future Inventory: Go beyond weights and sizes. Map future storage needs based on a growth forecast and seasonal demand spikes. Your rack system must scale beyond current usage.
• Determine Handling Compatibility: Your racking is an interface. Verify handling equipment (forklifts, side loaders, AS/RS) for compatibility with the final rack configuration. The wrong aisle width or beam height can render your equipment useless. If you are getting new equipment, then be certain to have all the specifications met. 
• Review Site Operational Factors: Where are the items like electrical drops and equipment charging stations going? These require planning now to prevent cutting into the structure or blocking essential flow later.

2. Engineering, Compliance, and Risk Mitigation

This phase of a racking implementation is all about locking down the specs and minimizing project risk. Don’t approve drawings until you’ve vetted the site’s capability to support them.

Always check the floor load capacity and chalk out the racking locations with your site engineers before installation. Imagine the expense and potential safety risk if racks are installed in a location with limited floor load capacity or worse, on a concrete seam. Re-engineering load distribution or moving locations entirely is a much cheaper action in the long run.

Key Tasks to Remember:

• Confirm Load Calculations: Work directly with your vendor to confirm all load calculations and rack capacities. Never assume. Post-installation signage and safe usage rely on this data.
• Check Site Conditions: Beyond the floor, account for seismic requirements and whether the racking system is fully indoor vs. outdoor (which affects coating and material choices).
• Obtain Permits Early: Obtain any necessary permits or inspections before construction begins. Permitting delays are one of the most common causes of installation schedule overruns.

3. Execution and Installation Logistics

A smooth deployment requires a customer-side point person with both authority and responsibility. This is where the rubber meets the road.

Remember to prep your site for the delivery day. It sounds basic, but preparing the site for delivery is often rushed. You need a dedicated, clear staging area large enough to handle multiple trailers and component drops, and you must confirm access routes for large delivery trucks and installation equipment (lifts, cranes, etc.). Time spent hunting for a clear staging area – or waiting for trucks or equipment – adds hours to the installation.

Regular meetings with the installation teams should be held in advance, so all stakeholders are certain of how the materials will flow from delivery through cleanup, and who is responsible for what action. Being aware of details like dock door height, equipment availability, water lines, and other critical factors can make the difference between smooth sailing and rough seas. 

Key Tasks to Remember:

• Assign an Installation Coordinator: This person should become the internal project manager for the delivery and installation phase, coordinating access, safety, and inventory relocation.
• Relocate Inventory: Relocate inventory for installation and have a clear, temporary home for it. This is a significant operational task that is often underestimated in terms of the time and manpower required. A big part of this is understanding and rerouting any regular day-to-day operations so they don’t cross into the installation areas, which will reduce safety risks and traffic jams.
• Inspect Shipments: Inspect shipments upon arrival for accuracy and damage. Discrepancies need to be reported immediately – before the installation clock starts ticking.

4. Safety and Long-Term Ownership

A product isn’t successful until it’s used safely and effectively. Planning doesn’t end at installation – setting a map for long-term sustainability and accountability is key. There needs to be an internal owner responsible for the long-term management of the storage and racking system. They’ll be responsible for enforcing the annual preventative maintenance plan, ensuring load and location signage is always posted and legible, defining the process for reporting rack damage or misuse, and scheduling periodic refresher safety trainings.

Without a designated, long-term owner, maintenance and safety protocols inevitably fall through the cracks, leading to a diminished lifespan for your storage system – and increased risk for your materials and employees.

Key Tasks to Remember:

• System Owner: Assign ownership for rack maintenance, replacement parts, signage, and proper documentation. Doing this will help ensure that the site remains compliant – and aligned with company safety goals. 
• Safety and Training Owner: Select a safety manager to ensure each employee, including temporary workers, is properly trained on best practices around material handling, equipment, and inventory management. 
• Misuse Protocols: Accidents will happen. Make sure the organization has clearly defined procedures and rules for reporting damage and misuse. Encourage employees to treat these accidents appropriately.

5. Closeout and Archiving

The final step after installation is to create a knowledge base for future compliance, maintenance, and facility upgrades. Collect and save all engineering drawings, permits, and load rating charts in a central, accessible location (including in a shared digital cloud-based drive, not just a binder). At the same time, archive training records for compliance. When auditors ask who was trained on the new system, you must have the signed sheets.

Key Tasks to Remember:

• Annual Audits: Implement annual audits to ensure that proper safety procedures, employee training, documentation, and other important facility operational factors are in place – and that compliance goals are met. 
• Archive Records: Be certain that all facility and racking system records are up-to-date and in a central location. You never know when you might need to quickly access specifications.

Let Dexco Help

Don’t let your next industrial storage or racking project be defined by overlooked details or costly surprises. We believe in sharing the decades of knowledge and field experience with the larger manufacturing and storage community – and that’s why we’ve created a comprehensive resource for anyone to download and use that will help you perfectly manage your next storage or racking project.

Download the free Dexco Industrial Storage Product Management Guide (Excel File)

Check it out and see how our detailed project template and checklist can help you ensure everything is planned and prepared properly to make your next industrial storage project a success!