Many businesses need to invest in a warehouse as they grow larger. It’s the best way to store large amounts of stock, and process it efficiently and effectively. When you’re dealing with hundreds of orders every day, a warehouse will help you serve your customers. It’s a crucial part of your manufacturing process. However, it’s not easy running an efficient and effective warehouse. They require strict organisation and planning. They need regular monitoring and assessment.
As a business, one of your main goals is efficiency. The faster you can turn products around, and get them shipped off to customers, the better. When you run an efficient and sharp warehouse, you can process more orders, expand, and grow as a business. We spoke to some of the top business experts to find out how exactly to make your warehouse run like clockwork.
Preparation and upkeep
First and foremost, remember that your warehouse is a business premises that requires basic upkeep. The building itself must be kept in excellent condition in order to serve the efficiency of the company. That means installing commercial epoxy flooring. This is required for health and safety, and ease of manoeuvre for your warehouse vehicles. It’s also worth bringing in an external audit team to check the warehouse, and provide advice on how to improve it.
Improve the ‘picking’ process
In warehouse terminology, ‘picking’ is a process that starts as soon as an order is received. It’s the time taken to then ‘pick’ the item from the shelf, and move it to the external gate for delivery. Naturally, the fast you can do this, the better. Effective warehouses tend to put the most commonly picked items as close to the delivery as possible. Most sellers know that 75% of orders are comprised of the same few items. If you can maximise efficiency on those items, you can maximise overall productivity.
Staff
Staffing a warehouse is very different to just ten years ago. Warehouses tend to employ much less staff thanks to automated systems. However, that means the staff you do employ must be super efficient. The best companies put their staff through extensive warehouse training. This gives them the vital skills to operate the machinery and improve efficiency. Your company is only as efficient as the employees that work on the ground. Make sure they you choose the most experienced and qualified professionals.
Technology
A good warehouse is stocked full of efficient and effective technology. Orders should now come through to a handheld device on your staff’s wrist. It will direct them to the correct item. Machinery like forklift trucks and conveyor belts help assist the quick movement of products.
Measure and monitoring
Finally, it’s in your interests to measure and monitor every aspect of the warehouse process. There is always room for improvement, and you can only know that by measuring progress. Time the ‘picking’ process, and look for ways to speed it up. Get feedback from your staff, and constantly look for new ways to improve.
An efficient warehouse is an essential part of your business activity. Make sure it works at its best!
