Organization is key to the success and productivity of any warehouse. Without properly knowing how to organize warehouse inventory, then your business may be prone to shipping errors, shrinkage, and excessive time loss. To remain competitive, keep business partners happy, and increase productivity, consider these ways to improve warehouse organization.
Know the Space You Are Working With
Before you begin to lay out your workspace or decide to rearrange what may already be there, you need to know the dimensions of your warehouse. You must know how to determine your maximum storage capacity before you begin receiving inventory or storing products.
Knowing how much you can hold inside your warehouse will be the basis of your organizational efforts, and this information will make it easier to determine what you can take in and what you cannot hold.
Optimize the Flow of Work
There are times when floor plans need to change or be updated. Over the course of years, a warehouse can experience changes that will make old layouts obsolete and negatively affect the productivity of workers. What worked for management years prior might not be viable due to changes or renovations in your warehouse layout.
Audit Your Process
You need to know where you are losing time along the process of receiving, storing, and shipping. If you find that there is a fundamental problem, such as a disruption of workflow or inefficient work routes, then you need to carefully consider how to best reorganize your space. This may require you to overhaul what you have, but it may be necessary to increase productivity.
Provide Clear Signage
Posting signs that direct workers to where they need to go is beneficial for employees, both experienced and newly hired. It will serve as a reminder of where important locations are, whether it be a cleaning supply closet, equipment room, or where to place newly received inventory.
Eliminate Confusion and Promote Safety
These signs can also inform employees where inventory is supposed to go and clearly state what each rack is supposed to carry. They can also post valuable information, such as the weight limit of shelves and the clearance of overhead obstacles.
Always Evaluate Your Situation
Warehouse optimization can be a constantly evolving process. Reorganizing old procedures means rethinking the protocols that you may have put in place. Do not hesitate to restructure your own layouts, as there may be something better that will facilitate workflow more efficiently.
