It’s easy running a warehouse when your business is small. When you make mistakes, you’ll be able to learn from them without wasting too much money. Just don’t make the same ones when your business explodes.
You won’t be able to sleep at night because you’ll be completely stressed out. Let’s focus on a few common warehouse problems business owners should fix now. Once it’s done, you’ll have a lot less to worry about.
Keep Popular Items Together
After a while, you’ll begin to notice certain items flying off the shelves more than others. It doesn’t make sense to keep them in different places, especially if you have a large warehouse that takes ages to walk around.
Keep popular items close to the area where you pack orders to shave time off your day. If you sell seasonal products you can keep off-season ones in the back. Don’t let them get in the way because it will reduce productivity.
Get The Stock Levels Right
If you ask a company that offers warehousing services, they’ll tell you it’s crucial to get your stock levels right. You’ll need to know the exact moment to make a new order based on how many products are on the shelves.
What is the maximum level you don’t want to go above? Do you have a danger level that lets you know you’re walking on thin ice? If you have multiple products, you’ll need to come up with different figures for each one.
Photos And Labels Are Good
It’s hard to reach the speeds pick and pack services offer because they’re so fast. You can start by putting up photos and information labels beside the products in your warehouse. It will help employees spot items within seconds.
When they look, they’ll see a photo of the product straight away, plus they can examine the label if they want to double-check. Keep everything at eye level so people know what’s sitting on the shelves above them.
People Need Space To Work
Warehouse employees need plenty of space to work, so don’t stuff them inside a small room. Make sure they have access to plenty of light too. Even though natural light is better, it’s not essential if there is none.
It’s not just a great way to ensure people don’t make mistakes, which can happen pretty easily in cramped spaces. If your employees are comfortable at work, it will increase their productivity levels throughout the day.
Cleaning Up Thoroughly
I’m sure everyone will clean up after themselves during the day, but it’s worth cleaning thoroughly at night. Hire a few cleaners to come in when everyone goes home, which will leave your warehouse shiny and fresh.
The warehouse workers will still need to tidy up at the end of their shifts. It’s worth stopping everyone about 15-30 minutes early, so they’ll be able to focus 100% on putting everything back in its place.
Start Working On It Now
It’s hard to tell when your business will suddenly explode, so it’s best to get things right before you start growing out of control. Once everything is set up correctly, you’ll be less likely to suffer big losses.