6 key elements of warehouse success
Warehouse owners are responsible for the functioning and maintenance of important commercial property. The fundamental warehouse activities you need to optimise efficiency are:
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Receiving
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Put-away
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Storage
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Picking
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Packing
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Shipping
Newpoint Property Group will explore each of these processes with the aim of helping warehouse owners and managers understand the importance of each one.
Receiving
This is one of the most crucial aspects of running a successful warehouse. Receiving is an essential part of operational functioning. It ensures that your warehouse receives the correct products or goods at the right time, in the approved quantities, and in good condition. This is crucial to maintaining customer satisfaction, as it avoids stock discrepancies and prevents damaged goods from entering your inventory.
Increasing the speed and accuracy of receiving goods is done by using high-powered machinery and reliable systems. Incorporating pallet trucks and forklifts is a great way of getting goods around the warehouse quickly from receiving. Warehouse management systems and scheduling software can also help maximise productivity.
Put-away
This refers to the movement of goods from the receiving area to the designated storage location. It needs to be done timeously and effectively to avoid bottlenecking and delays. Proper put-away management ensures clear organisation, minimised travel time, improved safety, improved space utilisation and enhanced tracking systems. Sources show that engaging in beneficial put-away practices increases warehouse productivity by 15%-30% in conjunction with other effective methods.
Storage
Storing your goods with proper space management lets you maximise your warehouse. It reduces the need for expansion and utilises extra square footage to its full advantage. Optimal storage enhances productivity and increases safety in the workplace by helping employees easily identify goods and navigate accessible areas. Storing your goods to streamline the processes that follow is an essential component of ensuring you always have warehouse space available due to efficient turnaround times.
Picking
Picking is a critical activity and one of the costliest expenses in running a warehouse. This involves the process of sourcing and gathering products and goods to fulfil orders. This is a step that directly involves customer satisfaction and is necessary for business success. Mistakes cannot afford to be made during picking, as they can negatively impact the customer experience and cause backlogs with delivery and transportation.
Packing
Once items are consolidated after picking, they are then packed and prepared for shipment and distribution. In this stage, it is ideal to try and reduce packaging weight and costs, while still retaining integrity of the package and ensuring it arrives without damage. Ensuring a final quality check is completed before goods are sealed and packed will eliminate future problems and returns.
Shipment
The journey that products or goods take toward being delivered to the customer is known as the final shipment. This depends on the correct order being loaded, dispatched, and delivered on time. Getting the shipment process right significantly impacts how the public perceives a company. It's important to use loading leverage systems and to optimise mobile delivery applications to your benefit.
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29 Nov 2024
Author Newpoint Property Group