5 Essential Tips You Should Know For Better Warehouse Management

The warehouse is the core of any large-scale distribution business and as such, it needs to be managed efficiently in order to keep the entire business running smoothly. By incorporating the right rules and routines at the warehouse level, you can contribute to the overall success of the business and substantially improve productivity throughout your warehouse.

1. Make Safety a Priority

As employees begin to feel comfortable in their roles, it’s not uncommon for shortcuts to be taken to get the job done faster and in taking these shortcuts, safety precautions often fall by the wayside. Safety protocols are crucial in protecting the health and lives of warehouse employees and by ensuring all employees are regularly trained in those protocols you’ll not only be protecting the safety of workers but also the reputation of the company that employs you.

2. Schedule Regular Equipment Checks and Maintenance

Properly maintained equipment is an important part of warehouse safety and productivity. Set aside time every week to perform checks on the safety and functionality of all equipment in the warehouse including large machinery such as your electric forklifts and pallet jacks. Equipment that’s outdated should be replaced promptly.

3. Keep Costs Within Budget

Overspending has been the downfall of many businesses, which is why it’s so important for warehouse managers to manage costs effectively. This includes maintaining an adequate level of employees without over staffing as well as monitoring supplies to ensure you’re only ordering what’s necessary. Additionally, when replacing large equipment such as forklifts, it’s a good idea to search used forklifts for sale prior to purchasing brand new equipment to save money.

4. Organize Your Stock

Whether you choose to organize by product number or by keeping like items together, it’s imperative that shelves in your warehouse are well organized. By incorporating a sensible method of organization, efficiency and productivity will naturally increase as employees are able to easily find and pick the items they need.

5. Incorporate a Regular Cleaning Schedule

Whether you perform a few cleaning tasks each day or do a deep clean of the warehouse each month, it’s important to maintain a clean warehouse. That includes removing clutter so that employees have ample space to perform their duties and removing dirt, dust and debris from floors and shelving on a regular basis. This will reduce the likelihood of infestations and help to protect the health of employees as well as help to keep stock in good, clean condition.

The Bottom Line

For many businesses, the warehouse plays a key role in ensuring overall success and the effects of poor warehouse management be felt throughout the entire business. Putting the health and safety of all staff should be the number one priority in any warehouse. By maintaining a clean warehouse and incorporating regular cleaning and maintenance checks and effectively managing costs, your warehouse can run more smoothly and your staff will be able to work more safely and productivity will naturally increase.

How do you ensure your warehouse runs well? Let us know in the comments.

Author Bio: Richard Fong is the CEO and founder of BlissDrive.com, a Los Angeles-based SEO company.