Basic tips to optimise warehousing operations
Warehouses are hectic, busy places with lots of coming and going and the increased demand for goods over recent times has certainly demonstrated the overwhelming need to optimise warehousing operations and practices.
Optimising logistics and warehousing activities can help things to run much more smoothly but doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul. Here are some simple tips for making the most of your warehousing operations and storage space.
Map Out Your Warehouse
Knowing what logistics and warehousing space you have will help to use it to its full potential. Physically getting floorplans out to review how you are using the space may reveal small slight changes that can be made in order to use the space more efficiently and potentially store more!
Having your warehouse floorplans to hand will not only help you plan and review the use of your space, but if they are made visible to everyone it can be a great way to help new employees find their way around and learn quickly where things are.
Create a Receiving Area
If there is enough warehouse space available to keep a dedicated area for receiving stock and taking care of administration processes then it is wise to separate this from the main warehousing space. This area can primarily be used for visitors to check in and depending on the size of your space can also be used as a holding area for goods.
Keeping this dedicated area away from the hustle and bustle of the main warehousing space will avoid injury or accident to admin staff and creates a clear definition of which task are to be carried out where.
Efficient Storage Space
This is the most critical area for warehousing and logistics companies, being that it is the most changeable. With goods in and out constantly it is easy for this area to become disorganised, especially during peak sales periods.
There ought to be clear logistics and warehousing operations in place for storing goods so they can be stored and found for dispatch easily. Organisation is also important from a health and safety point of view, ensuring goods are stored quickly and not creating hazards.
Separate your Picking Area
It is not always possible or relevant to keep a picking area isolated from other logistics and warehousing operations, however, it can be helpful to improve the efficiency of the warehouse activities and dedicated teams or staff.
Positioning your picking area adjacent to storage would be optimal in keeping the overarching dispatch processes in one larger area.
Optimised warehousing and logistics companies are safer and potentially much more profitable. Once processes break down or disorganisation turns into hazards it can create bottlenecks in the operation of your business.
A warehouse is the hub of your organisation and will be in constant use, it, therefore, makes sense that a good deal of time is spent reviewing and looking for new opportunities to optimise your warehousing activities and make the most of the space.
If you have outgrown your warehouse space, or would like to outsource your warehousing activities to an expert fulfilment company, then Xpediator offers innovative, integrated logistics and warehousing fulfilment solutions. We deliver tailored transport solutions for a vast range of industry sectors, including fashion and retail, automotive, manufacturing and e-commerce sectors, to name a few. Get in touch to see what we can do for you.
