3 warehouse disciplines every new warehouse manager needs to put in place

When you take a new job role as a warehouse manager, there will no doubt be areas that you will want to change, however before you get yourself too focused on these areas, you may find that you will need to give your attention to the equipment and machinery that is located in your warehouse, checking that there is as little as possible double handling of stock and that those items stored within your warehouse are safe from damage and orders are stored properly for shipment.

#1 Goods-in holding area

It is important to make sure that your warehouse workers have a goods-in holding area. This is an area where goods can be held for a certain amount of time after being booked in but before being put in their proper location.

This is to stop double handling. In any warehouse, there are times when items are booked in on the business’s system, moved from goods-in to where they should be located to only then be picked back up within a matter of minutes or hours to be either taken to the shop floor or placed in shipping to then go back out of the door. By planning your layout and having a holding area, those employees working in the warehouse would be able to collect the goods directly from the holding area, thus saving your good-in team unnecessary work.

#2 Baling machines to store orders safely

When it comes to safety and not only of your warehouse workers but of your customer’s orders as well, there should be no compromise. Teaching your warehouse teams how to use a baler and then making sure that they bale orders together will keep orders together while they are in storage at your warehouse and while they are in transit to your customer’s location. Obviously, in order to make sure that the items are secure and properly baled, you will have to have the correct baling wire for the job. If you are in any doubt about which gauge wire you will need, then you should seek the help of a baling specialist, such as questions on 10 or 12 gauge stem wire at balingwiredirect.com

#3 Having plenty of warehouse equipment

If you want to run a smooth and efficient warehouse, it is imperative that you make sure you have plenty of warehouse equipment for your staff to use. There is too much time wasted in warehouses across the globe due to a lack of working equipment. Having your staff waiting around because they require a piece of equipment that others are using to do their job is frustrating beyond belief and not only for those dealing with time schedules but for the workers as well, especially if you work your business with timesheet allotted fees or price guides.

To wrap it all up

Indeed, in warehouses across the world, there are issues of double handing, staff standing idle due to lack of working machinery or equipment, and orders being separated while being stored in the warehouse or on shipping lorries while out for delivery. All these scenarios add to the time that your business is not getting paid for but is paying wages. With just a few simple tweaks or a little more attention, you could find that your warehouse and, indeed, your business improves drastically.