Experienced warehouse managers contend that good warehouse management can be quite an uphill task. Unbeknown to many, success in the provision of goods and services does not start in the office but actually starts in the warehouse. The difference between timely and late deliveries boils down to good warehouse organization.
In keeping true to our word to provide you with modern inventory management solutions, we spoke to a number of experienced warehouse managers and deduced three tested and proven ways to make your warehouse more efficient and effective.
Efficiency Starts with the Floor Plan
To save time and effort that’s normally wasted getting easy tasks done, you will want to get your floor plan right. Although floor plans are usually conceptualized at the beginning of operations, you might want to consider rearranging the general layout even after months of work due to the potential efficiency savings you’re likely to make. In fact, managers contend that most warehouses that appear packed to the roof do actually have plenty of unused space.
To help your staff get jobs done faster, you need to manage your space efficiently. This will also help to avoid relocations to bigger premises, events that can cause a lot of disruption.
Product Placement
Closely related to the first point is the need to ensure that your biggest sellers are easy to get to. To this end, it’s important to place high volume items very close to the shipping area where they can be accessed with ease. You will not only reduce wastage of labor time; your employees will actually view the placing as super considerate. It might also be important to label the products section-wise to avoid shipping the wrong product.
Automation
Manual recording of warehouse transactions may still be present in some quarters but automation is now the go-to technique for effective warehouse management. Automating transactions using modern inventory management software and mobile solutions gives you real-time inventory levels, greater control and saves time. With an inventory mobile app like DataQlick, you can monitor what goes in and out of the warehouse from the comfort of your office, without the hustle and bustle that comes with pen and paper.
