Rack management is a double-edged sword for warehousing companies.

Shelf management is a double-edged sword. On one hand, to maintain high-quality service levels, businesses need to maintain sufficient inventory; on the other hand, the higher the inventory, the greater the product and process cost, and the greater the risk of dumping and disposing of outdated stock. German companies believe that over the past 20 years, inventory levels have steadily decreased—due to the significant growth in outsourcing and subcontracting, the increasing gap between process steps, which has directly led to an improvement in globalization levels. This has been made possible by the accelerated research around various transportation methods, which has streamlined physical logistics. More importantly, by enhancing data flow, the integrity of shelf processes has been further improved.

Starting from storage capacity on approximately 100 racking positions, and with connections for various board sorting and distribution devices as well as board processing equipment, a modern board storage racking system in the form of a mobile longitudinal board warehouse can be utilized. For this purpose, longitudinal warehouses with single-sided and double-sided storage systems with a single-depth design have been designed. The effective load of board pallets equipped with standardized fixed devices is generally designed for 3 tons, but can also be designed for 5 tons or higher, depending on special requirements. The system primarily uses large sizes (3m x 1.5m), but medium, extra-large, special-sized systems, or European pallet-based material storage racking systems on board pallets are also commonly used in practice.

The sturdy shelf manipulator is a two-bar device, featuring a liftable load arm that moves between two lifting rods. The lifting motion is achieved through two robust precision roller chains, with the drive unit moving along with the lift arm. The application of the drive and adjustment mechanisms has been verified in many of the company's sorting and distribution warehouses, enabling dynamic movement and efficient diagonal operations.

Inevitably, there are disadvantages or limitations to automated warehouse systems, including: High investment costs: Compared to traditional warehouse systems, this is a more pronounced drawback. Automated warehouse systems consist of advanced hardware and software, leading to higher purchase costs. Additionally, the costs for procuring resources and after-sales services like spare part replacements are also high. Long construction period: This includes the time for assessing and analyzing the current state of the warehouse shelves before use, the order cycle for procurement, and the installation and debugging period for the system, all of which require a considerable amount of time. High requirements for storage characteristics, lack of flexibility: The design and construction of automated warehouse shelves must consider the types of goods stored, storage environment, and logistics features such as throughput. Once in use, the storage characteristics are generally fixed, and the adaptability and flexibility in response to changes in any factor are relatively low. High requirements for warehouse shelf management and technical personnel: Automated warehouse shelf systems have a high level of technology, and the quality of the operating personnel is also correspondingly high. Operators need specialized training before they can be employed. Requires the integration of multiple systems to achieve significant economic benefits: such as the combination of storage systems with handling systems, and hardware with software systems. Due to technical requirements, the integration of systems at the same technological level is necessary to achieve significant benefits, which to some extent increases the investment costs.

From an industry perspective, for a company to excel in the modern shelving industry, it must undergo multifaceted strategic adjustments. First and foremost, a shift in mindset is necessary, with a firm establishment of a customer-centric service philosophy and an adjustment of service strategies. The emergence of modern shelving is rooted in users' demand for comprehensive and high-quality services, and meeting this demand is an essential challenge that logistics equipment companies must face for forward development. It should be recognized that the development and deepening of the market economy has led to higher demands for shelving services from customers. In summary, it is required that shelving companies provide appropriate products at suitable locations, within the necessary timeframes, in appropriate quantities and prices to customers. The increased demand for service quality and the diversity of distribution necessitate that companies not only offer basic door-to-door services but also provide related value-added shelving services. Therefore, shelving companies must firmly establish a customer-centric service philosophy and adjust their service strategies. On the basis of providing fundamental services, companies should also cater to customer needs, leveraging high-quality transportation services to offer personalized shelving solutions. The essence of shelving is service, and any area where customers find inconvenience can be within the scope of service provided by shelving companies. In the commercial sector, in line with the trend of large-scale and chain operations in China's retail industry in recent years and the development of e-commerce, it is advisable to focus on distribution services, assist enterprises in establishing distribution centers, and implement unified procurement, ordering, distribution, and management of goods, enabling companies to gradually phase out self-distribution, rely on professional distribution, reduce costs, and accelerate inventory turnover.