Managing a warehouse is not easy, and it takes a substantial amount of work and effort. However, it can be made much easier when you take the time to explore these seven tips for effective warehouse management. It will become far easier for you to understand how to keep your warehouse under proper control.
Our Top 7 Tips for Effective Warehouse Management
1. Plan the Layout of the Warehouse
One of the elements that can’t be left for last is planning the layout of your warehouse space. You need to be sure that you make it easy to get to the most popular and bestselling items and that you have plenty of space for your employees.
If you utilize dollies, forklifts, or other machines to help reach and retrieve items, there must be enough room for them to operate efficiently and safely in the warehouse. There should be a space for everything that is needed, and anything that is not needed in the warehouse should be removed.
You will also want to plan so that it will be easy to take inventory if needed. While you will have a warehouse management system (WMS) that can help keep track of your inventory, which will be discussed later, you may also need to do manual counts on occasion. It should be easy for your employees to do so.
2. Keep the Warehouse Organized
You must keep your warehouse properly organized once you have the layout established. It can be easy for employees to put items in the wrong location. Putting items in the incorrect places will cause a lot of trouble when it comes to finding those items later. The warehouse must always be organized properly, and supervisors should check on this regularly.
3. Use Bin Locations and Labeling
To make it easier to find what is needed, the use of bin locations for certain items will be crucial. Barcode labeling is essential, too. These techniques will help to ensure that you know exactly where all of the items are supposed to be, making it faster and easier for your employees to pick the times and fulfill customer orders.
4. Ensure Safety
The safety of your employees should always be of the utmost importance. They need to understand all of the safety protocols that you have in place, and they need to follow the rules. They also need to know how to safely utilize all of the equipment that they will be using for picking items, such as forklifts, dollies, ladders, etc.
5. Train the Staff Properly
In addition to training the staff on safety protocols and how to use equipment safely, they also need to be trained on how to pick properly. They need to know how to use their scanners, how to complete orders, and how to work as efficiently as possible. Human error is one of the most common problems in warehouse inventory management, and the only way to reduce these errors is with proper training.
6. Reduce Inventory that Doesn’t Sell
You might find that you have some shelves of inventory that never seem to diminish. It is not because you are restocking a popular item. Instead, it is because the item on those shelves never sells. These slow-selling items are taking up valuable real estate in your warehouse. You must understand which items are not selling, so you can then remove them from your stock. Your company might want to run a sale on them to reduce inventory or find another means of disposing of them.
7. Utilize a Quality Warehouse Management System with Mobile Features
Managing a warehouse is a lot of work, as you can see from the above. However, you can make your management more effective when you utilize a warehouse management system. These systems can help you understand your inventory better, make it easier for your employees to find items in the warehouse, and can even help to speed up the shipping process. Many of the best options on the market today will have mobile features, so your employees can simply use scanners when checking inventory or picking items for orders.
Be sure to put these tips for effective warehouse management into action in your warehouse sooner rather than later. You will want to be sure that you start with a WMS that can help to facilitate better control of your warehouse from the start. Learn all of the features and how to use them properly, and you will find that proper management of the warehouse is easier than you might have thought.
Using a WMS for Effective Warehouse Management
WiSys has re-invented how ERP systems create value for customers. To meet the business challenges of a new economy, companies need to focus on effectively managing their warehouse. WiSys Agility products have been designed to achieve efficient Warehouse Management (WMS), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Business Intelligence (BI), all from one software publisher. Contact us to learn more.