Frequently Asked Questions

We are located at 1700 Hamner Ave Suite 212 Norco, CA 92860.

Our phone number is (951) 279-0550

We know that time is money. Most people underestimate the amount of time it takes to accomplish a sustainable warehouse design and system implementation. To coordinate a project with so many components, accurate scheduling is critical to staying on budget.

IWS West works with the client to develop a detailed schedule in conjunction with your suppliers and vendors to achieve a realistic timetable for completing the project.

Operation managers understand that 60% of a warehouse employee’s time is spent traveling—picking, transporting, and replenishing items and supplies. An optimized warehouse design will improve the costs/travel time. When minimum wage was $3.50, or even $7.50, travel time did not impact operations nearly as much.

However, with minimum wage ballooning to $15/hour in California in 2020, travel time is more critical than ever before. Now is the time to start designing a warehouse system that will reduce travel time, resulting in reduced labor costs.

Budgeting for a warehouse relocation or a new warehouse design can be intimidating. The pressure to complete the relocation at the lowest cost can be low-hanging fruit, though. For example, if one company proposes a plan that will cost $150,000 less, it can feel impossible to go with the higher bid. However, if the company that costs more can design your warehouse using 20,000 less square feet and 10 less employees while maintaining optimal productivity, then you have just saved your company $2 million over five years.

Focus your efforts on optimizing your results. Work with companies that will help you understand all costs involved and give you a dollar amount that will not jeopardize the company’s financial health. Remember, storage systems are scalable. You don’t have to put it all in today. You can plan for the perfect system but build it over time as funds become available.

Yes. Our design team and warehouse experts understand that any job worth doing is worth doing right. Our goal with any warehouse project, whether it’s a redesign or a relocation, is to create a warehouse system that answers today’s problems while remaining flexible enough for five-year growth models.

Our scalable designs are based in curated data with state-of-the-art software programs. After implementation, our client will be given the keys to the software to continue monitoring the productivity with real-time results.

Most systems are used for 5 – 10 years. The cost of designing a warehouse, then, can determine the profitability and sustainability of your warehouse for up to a decade. Cutting corners in the design phase of your warehouse could lead to costly errors, inefficient pick times, and increased accidents.

Yes. Understanding the dangers of a warehouse system is fundamental to accident and injury prevention. Aisle widths, secure beams, and proper weight distribution are just a few of the numerous items that must be considered during the design phase.

With over 20 years in the industry, our experience with code compliance, along with our expertise with OSHA and Title 24, ensure that your newly designed warehouse keeps your workers safe without costly delays in the permitting process.

IWS West, Inc. maintains close working relationships with many industry-leading equipment companies. We believe it is necessary to choose equipment in conjunction with a more efficient warehouse design.

In our experience, adding new equipment is hardly capable of increasing warehouse efficiency without consideration of labor and space issues. After the design process, equipment needs will be addressed specific to the warehouse space, product location, and processing speeds.

We place special emphasis on forward pick locations. Aside from safety, nothing is more important in storage solutions than understanding how to design pick locations. There are five keys to ensuring orders are picked quickly and accurately:

1. Velocity
2. Size
3. Weight
4. SKU Group
5. Warehouse SKU locations

With these data points from your company and our expertise in streamlining the pick process, IWS West uses these five points and a tailored replenishment rate to solve the operational storage needs of your new warehouse. This process requires time and a collaborative effort, but once complete, the benefit of warehouse optimization and functionality will be yours for the future.