Very Narrow Aisle

Working for an industry that involves marketing, advertising, manufacturing, warehousing, sales, planning, research, financials and project management (to name only a few) ... all combined with cutting edge technology ... brings me in contact with people, places, experiences, areas and terminologies that we won't get to hear about in our otherwise routine lives.

About three weeks ago I had a chance to visit a warehouse, where I learnt that there are at least 18 different ways to stock product based on its specifications, one of which is called VNA or 'very narrow aisle'. It basically involves multi-tiered storage structures, this particular one had them at 18 meters high, spaced apart by only a few feet to maximize space utilization. However to efficiently move stock in such a storage scheme, special equipment is used, which incidentally, is also called VNA. Here's a picture:



So why is it cool? Because the machine simultaneously moves Up and Back at very high speeds meaning you quickly zip up and down your desired storage location in a sharp hypotenuse! And you see yourself leaving the ground while you do it. Throw in the snazzy hydraulic sounds that the machine makes and the smell of product and packaging material and it is quite an extraordinary experience! It is controlled by two joystick-like controls, one obviously for the horizontal while the other for vertical movement. While I rode in it with an operator, needless to say, I was *itching* to get my hands on it!

Those who would want to invest in this nifty toy, you need (other than about a 20 meter high building the size of at least a football field, with VNA shelves stocked with product for maximum effect) around 8,000,000 Pakistani rupees (about 120,000 US$).