An efficiently run warehouse can go a long way to save your business both time and money. The smoother that you can get your picking and deliveries to run, the easier it will be to maintain a positive reputation with your customers. You’ll also lose less money on lost, wrong, damaged, or late orders.
Layout your warehouse properly. A well-thought-out floorplan will help your staff to get through their work faster and get more things finished. Use all the space in the warehouse, including the height. This can help you to avoid having to pay to expand your warehouse space. Clearly mark out areas for storage, sorting, shipping and products. Each area and any product shelves must be labelled clearly so staff can quickly locate what they need. Mark out the most efficient picking routes to minimize trips around the warehouse. Position best selling items near the front of the warehouse, and keep stock of slower sellers to a minimum so they don’t take up as much room.
Make sure you’re using a reliable delivery service. Customers need to get their orders in good time and in good condition. Hire a company with good reviews, that has sensible policies regarding lost, damaged or delayed orders.
Keep your warehouse tidy to avoid accidents like trips and falls. Loose packing materials must be stored or discarded promptly. Orders should be packed or unpacked in designated areas to avoid trip hazards left in walkways. Correct uneven flooring with a new floor from impactfloors.co.uk.
Make sure the warehouse is well lit. Low visibility can lead to accidents, so light up your warehouse. Bright lighting can also help staff to feel more alert and awake while they’re working, making them work faster.
Conduct regular inspections. These inspections should ensure that everything is being run correctly, safely and in a tidy way.
Set rules around heavy machineries, like forklifts. Layout designated walkways around the warehouse and ask all staff to wear hi-vis jackets to make sure people are safe from the forklifts. Check regulations for the safe handling of any dangerous items, such as cleaning chemicals, that you use and make sure staff are trained in proper handling.
As soon as new stock arrives, check it for damage, correct quantities, or any incorrect items. After it has been checked, put it away promptly to get the warehouse floor cleared and ready for more deliveries.
Don’t keep multiple products in the same places as this can lead to mistakes when picking orders. Make sure everything is easy to find and are in clearly marked areas. You could also offer incentives for pickers to encourage faster, more accurate work.
Use two or three standard sizes of box to pack into to reduce staff having to search for the right box to pack orders. Integrate your warehouse system with some packing software. This software can accurately produce a packing list, invoice and a shipping label, which makes sure the right products make it out of your warehouse to the correct person.
