Mezzanine helps optimize space, processes

Honeywell, a Fortune 100 company, operates a facility that services, maintains and restores equipment for worldwide defense-related government applications. After operations and inventory from a second location were merged into the facility, a mezzanine helped the company perform critical services without the need for a building expansion.

The facility’s 18-foot-high ceilings and fire codes would not permit stacked storage units to exceed 12 feet in height. Therefore, simply re-organizing work cells or moving and stacking inventory wasn’t an option. The addition of a fire suppression system and HVAC, paired with a mezzanine (Cubic Designs, cubicdesigns.com), enabled the facility to add more space and take advantage of the previously unused vertical space.

Two mezzanines were installed to make room for offices, work areas and storage, as well as foster a more efficient process flow. This redesign included a 6,130-square-foot mezzanine to accommodate the repair shop and house inventory, with office operations on the ground level. In addition, a 750-square-foot mezzanine was installed for shipping and receiving, which operate more efficiently now that inventory was moved from the ground floor to the upper level.

By creating additional workstations and storage areas within its existing facility, Honeywell has maximized inventory control, reduced overhead costs and expedited repairs. The mezzanines combine to create a designated area for the repair shop, add more work space for employees, maximize storage capacity, accelerate inventory control processes, and streamline shipping and receiving operations.

Since the mezzanine installation, travel from one side of the facility to another is no longer required as work cells are now strategically located next to each other. This arrangement has resulted in expedited repairs and shipment of goods, more efficient work flow, and has helped to reduce cycle count time by 50%. In addition, sensitive products are no longer out in the open, reducing the opportunity for damage.