If you’re a warehouse manager or owner, then you understand the viability of productivity. Having a productive warehouse is not only good for productivity, but it also helps increase efficiency and profitability.
How exactly can one increase productivity in a warehouse setting, though? It’s easier said than done, but this article will provide some tips for increasing your productivity.
Encourage Employees to Take Breaks
First things first, a warehouse setting is only productive if the team working in it is productive. Being productive includes more than just being hard-working and putting in the hours to accomplish a task.
A happy and healthy workforce is a workforce that takes regular breaks and is well-rested. A warehouse setting is going to have employees that are on their feet all day, carrying boxes, and moving products around. For this reason, they must have breaks to help keep them energized and to help prevent any injuries/accidents from occurring.
Invest in New Technologies
New technologies, like automating your stock control, can have a huge impact on your productivity. Invest in these new technologies in a way that helps you improve even more on your current productivity routine.
Investing in other technologies should not be at the expense of the existing ones – this is what we call tradeoffs. In a warehouse setting, the tools and techniques you use can be tradeoffs for other techniques or tools you do not currently use. Sometimes, it’s also beneficial to minimize or even eliminate the tools used outside of your regular processes when adding new processes/tasks within them.
Utilize Storage Space Efficiently
Don’t underestimate the power of being organized. This includes getting rid of old stock and unused products that are taking up space in the warehouse and unearthing any lost items that could be found in more accessible locations.
Identify what products are selling well, what items are taking up too much space, which vendors provide high-quality merchandise at low prices, etc. These will be your pinch points. Once you know these, you’ll be able to utilize the space that the products use more efficiently.
Streamline the Shipping Process
This is an old one, but many warehouse managers don’t utilize their shipping department enough. The shipping department can be the one saving you a lot of money by reducing unnecessary handling and shipment delays.
Streamlining the shipping process will not only help with packaging and transport time, but it allows for it to be more efficient with cost. It’s also good for customer relations because these companies can start to expect a high-quality product without any disappointment.
Keep the Warehouse Clean
If the warehouse is clean, then productivity will increase. You want to set a good example and keep morale high. A messy warehouse can be an indication of disorganization and laziness, or just a sign that the company does not invest in its employees. Ultimately, your aim should be to help increase productivity for everyone in your team. Take time to recognize employees who are doing a good job and help identify solutions for any of your other problems. A productive warehouse setting can have a significant impact on your business’s success.
