As warehouse managers continuously seek for ways to enhance efficiency without breaking the bank, we outline four immediate and low-cost measures you can take to streamline your warehouse operations.
1. Optimize Warehouse Layout
Start by examining your warehouse layout and reorganizing it to make it easier for pickers. One manufacturer increased usable pallet floor space by one-third with this simple change.
Here are some additional best practices to follow:
- Gather Employee Feedback: Your warehouse workers are on the front lines and likely have valuable insights into how the layout could be improved. Engaging with pickers and shelvers can uncover practical ideas to increase accuracy and reduce wasted time.
- Clear Labeling: By labeling all bins, aisles, and rows with placards, using a logical numbering and lettering system, this straightforward change helps employees find the right bin faster and can eliminate the need for a full-scale warehouse mapping solutions.
- Separate Spaces: Maintain clearly defined, separate areas for raw materials and finished products. The COVID-19 pandemic led to chaotic inventory stashing for many, but it’s time to clean up. Misplaced goods can cause serious issues in shipping and production.
- Utilize Vertical Space: Use mobile shelving units for seasonal finished goods and stackable containers to increase capacity without needing additional square footage.
- Logical Order-Picking Layout: Organize floor layouts based on order-picking patterns. Ensure groupings make sense and that the fastest-moving inventory is the easiest to access. If customers often order certain products together, place those items close to each other.
2. Implement Efficient Picking Practices
While a robust WMS can help enable efficient picking by bin locations, here are some additional considerations:
- Sort Packing Slips: Sort packing slips according to bin location as soon as they’re printed. This ensures sales orders come up in a logical order.
- Consolidate Orders: Whenever possible, consolidate multiple orders into a single pick list. This reduces the distance pickers need to travel.
- Suggested Picks with WMS: If you have a WMS, enable suggested picks. In industries like food, this helps avoid spoilage and supports a first-expire-first-out (FEFO) practice.
3. Upgrade Barcode Scanners
Many warehouses still use mobile devices that are a decade old. While they may still work, newer models offer significant improvements in speed and throughput.
- Save Time: Newer handheld devices can load a pick list in just a few seconds compared to the 30 seconds or more it takes older models. Saving 30 seconds per load can add up to significant time savings across multiple pickers and shifts.
- Enhanced Features: Newer devices support time-saving features such as lot and picking suggestions, making the investment worthwhile.
4. Implement Pallet Tracking
In high-SKU, low-volume warehouses, operators often waste time searching for items. Pallet tracking can help streamline this process:
- Real-Time Information: A software solution with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags or internet-of-things (IoT) sensors can provide real-time information on pallet locations and statuses.
- Efficiency and Security: Pallet tracking helps pickers find items faster and stage sales orders more efficiently. It’s also a powerful theft-prevention tool, as managers can track when a pallet is removed.
Conclusion
With focused support from leadership, these measures can be implemented in an average warehouse within a month or two, leading to significant improvements in efficiency, worker productivity, and picker accuracy. In fact, you might find that replacing workers who give notice becomes less urgent. By taking these steps, you can enhance your warehouse operations and build a more efficient, productive team.
Looking for additional help? With over 30 years of experience in distribution and warehouse management, Sequoia Group is ready to understand how we can benefit your operation with the best tools and solutions. Let’s talk.
