Common Warehouse Mistakes and How to Prevent Them

A warehouse is a valuable asset for your business and by preventing some common warehousing mistakes you can improve your company’s efficiency and save money.

Processes

Business processes are essential to ensuring your business is effective and efficient, but sometimes these can be neglected.

Often warehouses concentrate more on the out-going processes associated with distribution of stock and during busy periods this can lead to slacking off in the process for receipt of goods into the warehouse.

If the inbound process is not completed correctly it can affect the outbound process as items are mis-stored, mis-placed or not recorded as being received. This could then lead to inventory inaccuracies which can have a knock-on effect to the business.

To prevent this ensure that staff are well-trained in the acceptance of goods, so that even during busy periods, staff holidays or sickness there is more than one person capable of carrying out this task.

Inventory

A common warehouse mistake is holding excess inventory. Whilst it’s important to have the stock required to fulfil sales, excess stock is expensive. Not only is your business’ money tied up in unsold stock but you are paying to store it.

Try to limit inventory to the minimum required to run your businesses efficiently.

Failing to optimize the picking path is another common but easily rectified mistake.

This is, however, all part of a wider issue of poor facility layout. The warehouse should be easy to navigate as the longer it takes for staff to pick the items for dispatch, productivity is reduced and the more it costs your business.

A quick fix would be to ensure items which are commonly picked together are stored together to streamline the picking process.

If you feel your warehouse layout could be improved speak to the team at Pallet Racking Direct and see how we can help streamline your workspace.

Health and Safety

Health and Safety management within a warehouse is important, especially during busy periods. The Health and Safety Officer must maintain up-to-date risk assessments – especially in such an environment where large items are being transported from height and others are being consistently moved by heavy machinery.

Accidents can sometimes be overlooked if staff don’t record them. A staff culture of reporting all accidents and more importantly near-misses needs to be maintained.

Hazards can then be reassessed and preventative measures put in place.

Here at Pallet Racking Direct, not only do we provide racking but we also offer a racking inspection and repair service to ensure those accidents waiting to happen, don’t.

Staff Development

Sometimes if budgets are tight or there are staff shortages staff training is one of the first things to be abandoned. This is a mistake.

All staff have development needs, and just because they are doing their job adequately doesn’t mean there is no benefit in training.

Many employees like to feel they are improving their skills and if this development is neglected, this results in a high staff turn-over.

Following these tips can make your warehouse a more productive and efficient workspace for very minimum effort.