Thursday, July 23, 2020

7 Simple Steps to Create an Efficient Warehouse

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Aside from good customer service, perhaps one of the most important aspects of running a business is running your warehouse at the utmost efficiency. An efficient warehouse allows you to get orders out quickly and save money. This also leads to happy customers who will shop with you again and again.

So how do you make sure that your warehouse is working at it's most efficient? Today, we're looking at a few simple ideas to consider.

1. Consider Your Space.

To best run your warehouse, you need to make sure that your space works for you. You can search for a commercial warehouse for lease if you need flexibility or short-term options, or buy a facility that suits your specifications if you have a long-term vision and budget. Consider your needs... what size warehouse do you need, what type of layout are you looking for, etc. Asking yourself these questions can help you to better plan the correct space that will work for you. Check out Calhounsuperstructure.com to find a variety of structures that might work for you.

2. Keep Things Organized.

When your warehouse is unorganized, it cannot be as productive as it should be. Time spent trying to determine where things are means less orders are going out in a timely fashion. The specifics of what warehouse organization will look like will vary greatly depending on your specific needs and product, but an organized warehouse will always be the most efficient warehouse. You could look at this article that goes into detail about what is warehouse management if you need a little help getting started with this. 

3. Keep Everything Accessible. 

Not only is the organization and access to necessary items INSIDE your warehouse important, but outside access is very important too. Make sure to create a space that allows plenty of room for packing and shipping, as well as access to large trucks for delivery too. If temporary access mats are needed, consider a company like Northernmat.ca to help meet those needs. 

4. Train Your Employees Well.

When hiring new employees, thorough training is an absolute must. Throwing them into the thick of things without proper knowledge of expectations, how things work and where everything is will slow everyone down and potentially lead to accidents as well. Providing proper guidance and training, like this UK forklift training program, will ensure that your warehouse employees understand the risks involved in using various types of equipment and how to safely work together. Beyond this, proper training will improve efficiency and may just lead to your employees staying longer and a reduction in staff turnover. You should be aware of what your employees can handle when you go through the recruitment process. Hopefully you have hired people who can tackle these jobs with the appropriate training, but this can be overlooked if during their interview the right questions were not asked. Taking a look at HR topics, for instance, will provide you with additional information that can be used in these circumstances so that you know you are hiring the best available without compromising safety.

5. Stick To A Timeline. 

It is certainly easy to procrastinate both in our personal and work lives, but for a warehouse to work efficiently, time is of the essence. When new deliveries are made, resist the urge to unpack later. Immediately get everything put away and organized to the best of your ability. By keeping on top of all tasks, your business can run much more efficiently.

6. Keep the Right Equipment.

Not having the proper equipment needed is the surest way to slow things down. You will want to keep your warehouse well equipped with all the proper tools you need to get the job done... and get it done right. From forklifts to pallet scales, be sure your equipment is good quality and maintained properly. (Check out https://www.johnsonscale.com/product-category/scales-balances/ to find the appropriate scales for your warehouse needs).

7. Don't Forget Safety.

Accidents can happen, but prioritizing warehouse safety is another great way to increase the efficiency of your warehouse. Not only is it important to make sure your employees are safe, but those accidents on the job can slow things down tremendously. Set strict safety guidelines and ensure that employees are all aware of these guidelines as well. 

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