Do you want to know a few easy things you can change in your warehouse today that will make your employees more effective and productive? Because warehouse environments are production based it is important that there isn’t excess downtime or that the work environment isn’t inefficient.

1. A path for picking. To make picking easy and efficient, start the path for picking at one end of the warehouse and have it end in the packing area.
2. Evaluate top picks and change when necessary. Your inventory is going to change along with the needs of your clients. Your warehouse set up should reflect this. Frequently reevaluate the placements of top picks and rearrange them as necessary.
3. Separate bulk and small picks. Any large picks should be saved to the end of the work day after all of the small picks have been completed. They may require a different method for packing or multiple workers to help with it.
4. Create manifests to allow for faster picking. Combine some small orders so they can be picked faster and more efficiently. Use a manifest to ensure that the right materials are sorted to the right customer.
5. Determining the lowest levels for materials. Reordering is an art and if you plan to rearrange your warehouse with the need for certain items you want to make sure you don’t have too much inventory to move at once. You also want to make sure you don’t run out.
6. Suggested delivery order. Determine if there are customer needs that inform when an order needs to be picked and shipped. One idea is to pick materials in reverse order so the last to be picked are the first to be shipped.
7. Shipping manifests for drivers. Create notes that can help your driver find the location of your customer easier and more efficiently.
8. Ensure employee comfort. Your team is the essential piece to ensure your success. Don’t treat them like commodities. Do everything you can to keep them comfortable. Little things like floor mats and music can help.
9. Listen to and use feedback from employees. Use your employee feedback to make improvements that can help the overall quality of work. Their ideas and opinions could make a huge difference.

Looking for More Ideas to Make Your Warehouse More Efficient?

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