Mezzanine flooring is a great way to really make the most of your storage space in your warehouse and can possibly be an alternative to moving out to bigger premises.
If you’re in any doubt as to why they’re so great, check out this blog post from Acorn Warehouse Solutions Ltd.
But once you’ve decided you want to explore mezzanine flooring, you face another big decision; which supplier to go with.
It’s a big investment on your part, so you want to make sure that you’re approaching the right people.
And while we all know to ask the standard questions about price, and how long things are going to take, there’s a little bit more digging that you should do to ensure that you’re getting the best service for your money.
Track Record
As with any contractor, it pays to do a bit of research into their track record and jobs that they’ve done in the past.
Check out their website to see if they have any reviews of testimonials (although do remember that they’re only going to post the good ones!).
To get a clearer picture you could also check out some independent review sites as well as their social media accounts if they have them.
Seeing that they’ve performed well for other clients is a big weight off your shoulders and lets you know you can move forward with some certainty.
Project Management
While you may well have an expert team installing your mezzanine flooring, it’s important that there is clear and strong project management from the top.
The project manager provides planning and direction to the whole project, and if this isn’t right, then the whole project can suffer as a result.
Try and arrange a meeting with the project manager before the project gets underway so that you can sound them and their approach out.
Make sure that they know exactly what it is that you require and that they have some kind of clear plan going forward.
Bespoke Design
No two warehouses are the same, and every mezzanine project is different. For this reason, it’s essential that your mezzanine supplier is happy to provide you with a bespoke design.
This design should take into account everything from the structure of the mezzanine to the warehouse and what the structure is actually going to be used for.
Your supplier should be able to assist you in making the most of the space available, within your budget and with as little disruption to your day to day activities as possible.
The complexity of mezzanine flooring projects means that we believe that a ‘one size fits all’ approach simply isn’t good enough.
Their Input
While it’s obviously important to ask lots of questions of your mezzanine supplier, think about whether they’re asking you anything.
For example, they should not only be asking you about your requirements for the mezzanine but more broadly about your business.
They should be asking things such as “How will the mezzanine be used?” and “What will the load bearing requirements be?”.
All of these details will be important to the project, so it’s important that the supplier takes an interest.
Additional Options
While at the bare minimum a supplier should take your requirements and deliver a solution on them, the best will come back to you with other elements that you may not have considered.
The experience of a supplier is hugely important in making little suggestions and tips that you would never have thought of, and these little extras can be a huge help further down the line.
For example, can they help with building regulations, fire escapes, plumbing and wiring and health and safety requirements?
When you think about it there’s a lot that goes into planning a mezzanine and it’s good to know that you have an expert backing you up.