There is much more to warehouse efficiency than simply ensuring that every product has its place and is shipped on schedule. Various products and tactics can improve order accuracy, increase shipment speed, and support order picking.
Creating a more productive environment will provide a business with many benefits, such as saving time and money, boosting employee morale, and increasing customer satisfaction. Read this guide for some tips on how you can improve your warehouse efficiency.
Accurate, High-Quality Labeling
Clear, accurate, and high-quality labeling is integral to a quick, organized, and productive warehouse. The fast-paced environment means that orders must be picked and shipped quickly to boost customer satisfaction and encourage repeat purchases.
The correct labels can help a warehouse team to quickly identify and pick items to ensure that the right orders are delivered to customers on schedule. Also, different options are available to suit a warehouse’s specific requirements and support inventory management.
Many options are available to optimise warehouse labeling for efficiency. Shelf labels or self-adhesive labels can suit many labeling tasks. For example, they can suit labeling tasks that need letters or number keys to promptly guide forklift drivers or warehouse employees to the correct storage area. Also, RFID labels can transmit an item’s information and movements in the supply chain, supporting inventory management and accuracy.
Train Your Team
A well-trained team is fundamental to a warehouse’s operations and the company’s profitability. The more knowledgeable your employees are, the more efficiently your business will run.
For this reason, a warehouse must invest time and energy into providing new and existing employees with thorough training, which should focus on inventory storage, order fulfillment, risk management, and more. Ongoing training is essential, as you must keep policies and procedures fresh in your employees’ minds and update them on industry changes or new practices and policies.
Maximize Warehouse Space
Every inch of a warehouse should be maximized to improve storage space, boost productivity, and reduce the risk of accidents or injuries onsite. For example, a warehouse should make the most of its vertical space if it is struggling with storage. To do this, it could introduce taller storage units and invest in the appropriate equipment to pick and transport products.
The warehouse layout should be reviewed regularly to maintain a safe, organized, and efficient environment for the staff. Also, it’s vital to establish the most productive routes for employees to follow and adopt lean inventory practices to ensure that the business only stores what it needs to onsite goods and overheads can be reduced.
Introduce the ABC Analysis Method
Speed up picking and shipping with the ABC analysis method. To do this, you’ll need to divide your inventory into the following groups:
- Group A: expensive but less sought-after items with great profit margins.
- Group B: reasonably priced, more popular items with a smaller profit margin.
- Group C: Fast-selling items with lower profit margins. (these items will likely need to be easily accessible to staff)
The ABC analysis method will make it easier to store and pick an item for more efficient processes.
Perform Regular Audits
A layout, practice, or procedure might have worked once in a warehouse, but it could eventually become counterproductive. Regular audits will identify a warehouse’s shortcomings and help it to make the appropriate changes to restore efficiency. To do this, you must measure employee productivity, inspect the warehouse’s layout, review technologies, and monitor wastefulness.
