Warehouse productivity is a major issue in the logistics industry today. The problem stems from the fact that most warehouses are organized by product type, not by SKU. This wastes time and energy because employees must search through the inventory to find products, making them less productive.
Here are some strategies you can do to improve productivity in your facility:
1. Maximize And Optimize All Available Space
The warehouse is the core of any distribution center. It’s where products are received and shipped out to customers. The efficiency of a warehouse can significantly impact the success of a business. Maximizing and optimizing all available space is essential to improving warehouse productivity. Your warehouse layout is the first step toward maximizing its usable area.
If you’ve got an extensive stockroom or storage area, organize your products by categories to make it easier for employees to search for them. The goal is to create an organized system that will allow employees to have better navigation to inventory and free up floor space for storing new shipments or working on repairs.
2. Choose The Right Containers And Pallets
The most important thing when selecting the appropriate containers and pallets is that they must be durable enough to withstand the product’s weight being stored. If a pallet breaks or your container cracks during transport, your product could be damaged or lost entirely.
Choosing the correct size for your warehouse space and the type of products you’re shipping or storing is also essential. Moving around and accessing items will be difficult if you have too much space between pallets. On the other hand, little space between pallets and other warehouse equipment could lead to equipment damage or injury if an employee accidentally bumps into a stack of pallets while walking by.
3. Take Advantage Of Technology
Warehouse productivity is an essential element of warehouse operations. The goal of warehouse productivity is to increase the speed at which products are processed and shipped. Warehouse productivity can be improved by utilizing technology.
Here are some ways you can take advantage of technology in your warehouse:
- Use RFID tags for inventory management.
- Utilize barcode scanners for inventory accuracy.
- Use mobile devices for order processing.
- Use computerized picking systems.
- Implement automated storage solutions.
4. Improve Workflow Process
Warehousing is a complex, data-driven business. From order processing to inventory management and shipping, many moving parts must work together perfectly for your warehouse to run smoothly. One of the essential parts of a warehouse is the picking process. It’s how items are selected from storage and brought to a packing station for shipment.
This process is typically managed by an automated picking system that requires trained employees who can operate the equipment properly. A well-designed picking system can be highly effective at improving productivity and reducing costs in your warehouse operation. But if it’s not working correctly, it can lead to inefficient workflow processes, higher costs, and lower productivity.
5. Offer Employee Incentives
Warehouse employees are vital to the success of your company. They’re the ones who pick and pack your products, so you need to make sure that they’re well-motivated and happy. You can do this in a lot of ways, but one of the most effective is providing incentives to warehouse employees.
Many different incentives can be used to motivate warehouse employees. The two of the most common ones are:
Raises
Employee salaries are a great way to boost morale and encourage them to work harder. It also prevents them from leaving for other jobs where they might get higher wages.
Bonuses
Bonuses are another popular incentive companies use to reward their employees for having done a great job or reaching a specific milestone. Depending on your company’s policies and how much money you want to spend on them each year, rewards can be paid out in cash or stock options.
6. Performance Awards
They’re given when an employee meets specific goals. These awards may be given out annually or at the end of each quarter/month/year. Awards are usually monetary, but they can also include gift cards and other merchandise that the recipient can redeem later.
Employee incentives are an excellent way to keep your staff motivated and satisfied at work.
Final Thoughts
Implementing these ideas will help your warehouse become more productive and can even be used to improve productivity in other areas of your business. You might not have considered these ideas before, but they’re worth a shot if you want your warehouse to run like clockwork.
