A major pharmaceutical distribution operation has significantly increased its usable storage capacity within its existing cold-room warehouse footprint after implementing a high-density storage system designed and supplied by ProMHS.
The facility manages high volumes of pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, oncology treatments and other temperature-controlled medicines, within a multi-client distribution environment. Over time, SKU growth, increasing compliance requirements and rising order volumes placed significant pressure on the available storage space within the fixed building envelope.
The site had already extended its existing very narrow aisle (VNA) racking system to the maximum possible limit. Physical expansion of the cold-room facility would have required significant capital expenditure and operational disruption.
Instead, ProMHS conducted a detailed storage assessment and identified a different underlying issue: underutilised shelf space within the existing racking system. Both shelf depth and vertical height were not being fully utilised, while the operation had increasingly resorted to mixed SKU storage across shelving and half-pallet locations to accommodate growth.
Rethinking Storage Density
The warehouse had originally been designed as a VNA operation to maximise pallet storage within the limited cold-room footprint. Order picking was conducted at ground level from four levels of long-span shelving, providing 28 SKU pick faces per rack bay.
Picking activity was spread across the full length of the VNA aisles, requiring coordination between pallet movements handled by turret trucks and order pickers operating with trolleys and hand pallet trucks.
The client tasked ProMHS with identifying a solution that could significantly increase storage density while improving picking efficiency. The focus was on small- to medium-sized items with medium to low throughput, commonly classified as B- and C-class inventory.
Several solutions were evaluated, ranging from traditional steel binning systems to automated vertical lift modules. Ultimately, the Storeganizer high-density pocket storage system was selected as the most practical and effective option.
Storeganizer is a vertical textile-based storage system that dramatically increases storage density for small items while maintaining full manual accessibility. The system utilises vertical pocket columns suspended within pallet racking, transforming unused vertical space into organised picking locations.
Measurable Operational Impact
The installation delivered substantial improvements in storage density and operational efficiency.
The original shelving configuration provided 28 pick faces per rack bay across an area of 7.07 m².
Following the installation of Storeganizer:
- Small pocket configuration (300 mm × 300 mm × 300 mm) increased pick faces to 192 per rack bay — a 585% increase in pick-face density, equating to 48.94 pick faces per m².
- Medium pocket configuration (450 mm × 300 mm × 300 mm) increased pick faces to 126 per rack bay — a 350% increase in density, equating to 32.11 pick faces per m².
- Large pocket configuration (450 mm × 500 mm × 450 mm) increased pick faces to 56 per rack bay — a 100% increase in density, equating to 14.27 pick faces per m².
By relocating small-item storage into the high-density pocket system, the operation also released approximately 200 additional pallet storage locations elsewhere in the warehouse.
Picker travel distance was reduced by 42%, as operators now access a higher concentration of SKUs within a much smaller physical footprint. The combined impact of improved storage density and reduced travel time resulted in a measured 26% increase in picking productivity.
In this phase of the project, the client installed 21 Storeganizer bays. The modular system allows additional bays to be added as operational requirements grow. Because the system uses a universal suspension design compatible with standard pallet racking, it can also be relocated or reconfigured if warehouse layouts change in the future.
Warehouse staff reported improved product visibility, faster item location and a smoother workflow.
“We pick faster because everything is easier to see,” said one warehouse team member. “The pockets are structured and grouped logically. You don’t waste time searching — you grab and move.”
Optimisation Instead of Expansion
By redesigning how small items were stored within the existing racking system, the project avoided the financial and environmental cost of expanding the refrigerated facility.
The Storeganizer picking zone was positioned at the front of the high-bay pallet storage area, allowing full-pallet movements to occur deeper within the VNA aisles while order picking takes place in a concentrated forward zone.
Because Storeganizer is a manual system that requires no power or automation infrastructure, it delivers increased storage density without additional energy consumption.
“This project demonstrates that space constraints are often density constraints,” said Iain Sherwood, Managing Director of ProMHS. “By analysing how shelf space was actually being used, we identified significant opportunity within the existing footprint. Intelligent storage design can unlock capacity without pouring more concrete or adding more racking.”
A Growing Industry Trend
Across pharmaceutical distribution, third-party logistics (3PL) operations and e-commerce fulfilment centres, warehouse space optimisation is increasingly being viewed as a strategic alternative to facility expansion.
High-density manual storage systems are emerging as a cost-effective way to increase storage capacity and improve productivity while maintaining operational flexibility. This project highlights a broader shift in the warehousing sector — from expansion-led growth toward optimisation-led performance.
