When people think about temperature mapping, it’s often seen as something you do because the regulations say so.
But in reality, a good mapping study is about much more than ticking a compliance box. It’s about understanding your storage environment and making sure your products are protected.
Over the years, we’ve worked with warehouses of all shapes and sizes, and we keep seeing the same issues crop up.
Here are the five most common:
1. Mapping at the wrong time of year
If your study is carried out during mild weather, you’re probably not seeing your warehouse at its most challenging. The hottest and coldest periods are often when hidden issues appear. Its vital from a value and compliance perspective that the mapping is carried out during the extreme of season.
2. Not putting sensors where the risks are
Temperatures can vary more than people expect and its important a risk assessment is completed to ensure all product and storage areas are considered. For example, racking, loading bays, staging areas, quarantine, CD stores and son on can all experience fluctuations. Placing sensors in the right locations ensures study integrity.
3. Forgetting how much the warehouse has changed
Added more racking? Increased stock levels? Upgraded the HVAC system?
Even small changes can affect airflow and temperature distribution. If the warehouse has changed, it’s worth assessing whether the mapping study needs repeating.
4. Treating mapping as a one-and-done exercise
Warehouses evolve over time, so temperature mapping should too. Reviewing your mapping periodically helps maintain confidence in your storage conditions and supports ongoing compliance. A risk assessment should be recorded including the areas reviewed (e.g. EMS data, facility changes, HVAC servicing….) and a decision made on the need for remapping.
5. Thinking it’s all about the audit
Passing an inspection is important, but the real value of temperature mapping is understanding where the risks are before they become problems.
At the end of the day, temperature mapping isn’t just about producing a report – it’s about giving you confidence that your products are being stored exactly as they should be and you are in control of the facility performance.