When your business grows, so does your inventory — and for building material distributors, that means more oversized products like steel beams, lumber, drywall, piping, and palletized stone taking up more space than ever. These items don’t just require more room — they demand smarter, safer, and more scalable organization strategies as you expand.
Many distributors start with a functional layout that works when space is limited. But as more SKUs, locations, and daily truckloads are added, poor planning around oversized materials leads to bottlenecks, safety hazards, and inventory chaos.
Here’s how to take the best practices for organizing oversized materials — and scale them up with structure and visibility.
- Expand Zone-Based Storage, Not Just Square Footage
As your warehouse or yard grows, it’s tempting to just add space and start filling it. But scaling well means replicating proven zone-based layouts rather than letting your layout sprawl.
Define specific zones for long, heavy, wide, or irregular items
Use zone codes in your ERP system that link to physical locations
Replicate this structure across every new warehouse or expansion site
Zone-based layouts allow you to maintain consistency, train faster, and apply the same picking logic across locations.
- Standardize Racking and Equipment Across Sites
When your team uses different racking systems at each location, it creates:
Training inefficiencies
Equipment compatibility issues
Safety and capacity risks
Instead, develop a rack standards guide for oversized materials, including:
Cantilever for pipe and lumber
Vertical storage for panels or doors
Custom bays for palletized bulk materials
This also helps procurement standardize new site setups and streamline replacement parts.
- Use Your ERP to Assign and Manage Storage Locations
Don’t wait until the warehouse is full to label bins or zones. As you scale:
Assign bin and zone codes in your ERP during layout planning
Use large, durable signage to match digital location IDs
Ensure teams scan items into specific locations during putaway
This allows anyone — new hire or veteran — to quickly find oversized items and avoid misplacement or double-handling.
- Invest in Scalable Picking and Staging Routines
As the volume of oversized materials grows, so does the complexity of moving them. To avoid slowdowns:
Pre-stage by route or jobsite to reduce time in the loading lane
Assign picking based on equipment availability (e.g., forklift-ready zones)
Use ERP-integrated pick tickets that include load order and handling instructions
Scaling staging processes means fewer delays, smoother dispatching, and less strain on staff and equipment.
- Track Movement and Storage Efficiency Over Time
With more materials and more yards, it’s easy to lose visibility. Use your ERP to monitor:
Zone occupancy by product type
Turnover rates by material dimension
Space utilization across racking systems
Movement time for large SKUs from pick to staging
These insights help you adjust your layout as you grow — rather than outgrowing your layout.
- Build a Training Framework for Oversized Product Handling
What works for pallets of fasteners won’t work for 24-foot rebar. As your team grows, formalize how oversized materials are managed by:
Creating SOPs for storage, picking, and staging
Assigning handling permissions in your ERP by user role or certification
Embedding oversized product protocols in onboarding and safety training
A warehouse that scales safely also scales profitably.
Final Thoughts
Oversized products will always be the most complex part of your inventory. As you expand, the key isn’t just adding space — it’s replicating what works, automating what you can, and enforcing standards through your systems.
By using your ERP to link layout, racking, and movement with clear digital records, your operation can grow — without losing control of your biggest and most valuable materials.
