We have had many people tell us how staying ahead of the game in any business is to “stay proactive”. It is true though, and it goes for warehouse management just as it does anything else. By staying proactive, you have a better chance of predicting issues and keep them at bay. This sort of thinking can take a little work and reorganisation from warehouse management and staff. However, it is absolutely doable and can pay off in the long-run when implemented correctly.

Improve Warehouse Management Efficiency

Looking to stay ahead of the game when it comes to warehouse management? Here, we have five ways you can be proactive, take action and improve efficiency in your warehouse!

Collect all Possible Data

Many warehouse managers, whether it be better or worse, tend to follow intuition or instinct. They have worked in the warehouse for so long. Therefore, they believe they “get a feel” for any big changes coming their way. It’s not exactly an invalid approach but balancing these instincts with backed up data is crucial. With hard-and-fast data and reporting, you can maintain productivity and be more aware of the overall performance of your warehouse. Be sure to collect data from all areas of operation. This means shipping and receiving, on-hand inventory and even performance metrics such as items shipped per day. Make sure you have a full picture of how your warehouse is performing.

Understand your Supply Chain

Of course, it’s one thing to collect data, but another to know how it interacts with your warehouse operations. The role it plays in your warehouse is crucial to making this collected data actionable. In order to take a more holistic approach to your warehouse is to familiarise yourself with your entire supply chain. Get to know your vendors, learn more about the shipping times and the performance you can expect. Learn about who coordinates receiving and deploying shipments and much more. Even if not all areas are directly in your job. Understanding how they work, and their role will help you better manage the warehouse and solve many issues.

Frequently Reviewing KPIs

Too often do we see warehouse management getting comfortable and using KPIs to impress higher-ups. They will often plan for the holiday season without any real review of what they mean. Nor do they show what good they could do for your business.

Set yourself a regular schedule, whether it be monthly, quarterly or annually. Use this schedule to review metrics that are important to your business. This could be items shipper per day, items picked per day, total inventory errors per period and more. Doing so will give you an idea of what you should focus on for improvement or next steps.

Backups are Necessary

Of course, this is not applicable for things you cannot control. However, having redundancies of your most important items on-hand is great for avoiding loss of productivity. For example, it is a good idea to keep spare parts around for any forklifts. Try to keep extra storage options such as wire shelving and pallet racking around. This is handy for potential damage. If the management uses electronic tablets on the floor, always keep a spare. You never know what could happen! This will avoid interruptions in the event of something going wrong.

Prepare for Exceptions

No matter how prepared you are, things happen. All the procedure-writing in the world cannot account for each incident that occurs. However, in some exceptions, it is good to have a process in place. Review some of the frequent exceptions or errors you encounter. This could be missing items from a shipment or damaged well upon arrival. Be sure to document the processes for them. You cannot predict everything. However, the right steps for the most common exceptions can make a huge difference to how you reduce your overall issues.

Get in Touch with Monarch Shelving Ltd

If you want to make the most out of your warehouse efficiency through new or second-hand pallet racking, look no further. Get in touch with Monarch Shelving Ltd for more information.