When managing a warehouse, you have a lot of considerations to take on board. Ensuring you have smooth and efficient processes in place ensures that the warehouse is moving as well as it can (all of the time). Getting to the bottom of the issues you are experiencing and uncovering what is working effectively within your warehouse is crucial. An exploration period and time spent monitoring will you help identify what can be improved.
Look at the Layout of the Warehouse
The layout of your warehouse will impact how goods move, and it will affect how staff operate. If the warehouse layout feels chaotic and untidy, then this will ultimately negatively impact operations. When looking at the layout of the warehouse, see what is working well./ Are all the lines and processes in order? Workers must travel long distances to get packaging or check stock. Monitor how the layout works for a few weeks. Monitor if it works just as well in busy periods (as it does on quieter days).
Utilize All Available Space
After assessing the layout, it is important to utilize all of the available space you have. This may mean that you have to introduce new racking systems. Or it may mean getting rid of the cages and shelves you use. If you are not utilizing the available space, you are wasting time and money. You must consider wall space (not just floor space) to use space. Think about changing the layout to maximize the space you have. Also, think about utilizing the roof space you have within your warehouse. You may find that you can have storage solutions for those areas that are infrequently used.
Use a Management System
Warehouse management done all by yourself can be exhausting and overwhelming. Often knowing where to start can be challenging. You impact productivity by wasting time trying to manage everything by yourself. To stop this cycle, you will need to implement a WMS or warehouse management system. A management system can help you streamline what you do, and it can help you prioritize your time and focus your efforts. It can ease the daily burden you may feel when running (and operating) a warehouse. A fully integrated management system can help you get the most out of your warehouse.
Focus on Safety
You may be engrossed in using every inch of your warehouse and making more of the space. However, this does not mean that you should overlook safety. The safety of your site and those working within your warehouse should always be paramount. If safety is not a top priority, warehouse management will not be as smooth as possible. You will find that processes and operations will fail. Build effective warehouse management around safety parameters, and you will find that effective warehouse management is easier and more manageable.