Increase the Flow of Your Warehouse with These Expert Tips
Managing a warehouse is all about the bottom line. There are obvious logistical ways to maximize a warehouse from a quantitative perspective, however, there are just as important qualitative ways in which managers can optimize the flow of a warehouse that often get overlooked. Maximize warehouse workflow by taking these steps to improve the quality and quantity of your team’s productivity.
Setup a warehouse management system
In order to improve the flow of your warehouse, you’ll need to know where you are starting from, and identify any major flaws in your warehouse’s processes. Identify your cost per line, box and return. This will show you if you should be focusing on budget or efficiency and how you can best marry the two to create an optimal warehouse.
Find out what certain errors, like lost inventory or wrong shipments, cost your company. This will help you focus on mastering the processes in which you cannot afford mistakes.
Keep energy up
At the end of the day, your team’s efficiency and effort is what makes your warehouse successful. Keep spirits high with consistent and effective displays of gratitude. Hold meetings to celebrate employee successes. Give away incentives such as gift cards, free lunches or company apparel to top performers. The more fun it is to come into work, the better your warehouse’s energy and productivity will be.
Be lean and mean
If you are looking to truly optimize your warehouse efficiency, you will want to implement the “just in time” tactics of six sigma. This adds pressure to your warehouse’s processes; however, it’s the best way to ensure that your workflow is optimized to fit your deadlines without down time.
Treat your employees well
Your employees make your warehouse the powerful machine that it is. When you treat your employees well, it’s just like taking care of your most prized possession. You wouldn’t put generic oil in your classic Ferrari, or feed your thoroughbred horse scraps, so you can’t treat your employees as though they were replaceable and expect your factory’s workflow not to decline.
Warehouse management can be tricky, but with a trusted light industrial staffing firm in your corner, you add years of experience from light industrial recruiting experts who have seen it all. The Reserves Network has helped thousands of companies top talent and manage them for over 30 years. Contact TRN to grow your business today.
