Are you managing your warehouse facility and want to ensure it runs smoothly? What are some warehousing pitfalls you can try to avoid?
Overflow Inventory
First up, there’s the issue of too much inventory taking up too much space. When this happens your budget is going to be “off” and you might even be wasting money rather than making money. When you’ve got excess inventory, other warehouse processes suffer– things slow down, things go missing, errors increase– it’s not good. If possible, try to transition to a lean inventory management methodology so you’re not putting resources to things that don’t add value in return.
Inefficient Workflows
Next, there’s the pitfall of inefficient workflows, whereas productivity suffers. If departments are competing for resources and space, you’re likely going to experience errors and accidents. Everything in a warehouse should have its proper space. When you start mashing things together, problems arise. You might need to separate departments and functions so things work better at your warehouse. Related to this are picking paths that aren’t optimized. Much like a highway full of vehicles, a picking path shouldn’t be full of roadblocks or backups! With that in mind, make your paths linear, and store items commonly purchased together near one another. A clean and organized warehouse is ideal.
Not Up to Modern Times
Thirdly, there’s the outdated problem (a pitfall) of being stuck using paper processes. At one time, this was the way to do business, but technology has changed all of that. Go digital rather than rely on inefficient paper-based processes.
Safety
Finally, not emphasizing safety can be a pitfall. When you have solid safety policies in place, people know and understand them, and people actually follow the rules/safety precautions, then you’ve got a properly functioning warehouse. Otherwise? You don’t! Safety hazards like blocked exits need to be eliminated. Do what you can to run a safe operation.
Be efficient as possible when managing a warehouse, avoiding pitfalls along the way.
When you need reliable warehousing services, Affiliated Warehouse Companies is here for you.
