An efficient warehouse plays an integral role in an effective supply chain. Not only is warehouse efficiency crucial for customer satisfaction through timely order fulfilment, but it can increase productivity, reduce costs and impact significantly on your bottom line.
Here, we reveal five ways to improve warehouse efficiency and explain the benefits they can bring to warehousing operations.
1.) In-depth efficacy review
The first step when it comes to improving warehouse efficiency is conducting a thorough efficacy review. This is crucial in determining a baseline from which to measure your current warehousing activities.
From reviewing existing processes to assessing warehouse space, where labour efficiencies can be made and carrying out an existing safety protocol assessment, an initial efficacy review is an integral starting point.
2.) Think lean
Adopting a lean approach to warehousing inventory is crucial. The main principle of lean warehousing inventory is to ensure you have the essentials to operate, and nothing more. Ensuring stock isn’t piled up and safety stocks are reduced, and encouraging more frequent deliveries or smaller quantities from suppliers are all effective measures to achieving a lean inventory.
3.) Warehouse Management System (WMS)
A Warehouse Management System (WMS) works by efficiently managing the complexities of warehouse operations, keeps running costs to a minimum, increases productivity and provides essential insight needed for effective business decision-making. Using a high-quality WMS delivers a host of benefits to warehousing operations, workforce and customer base.
Find out more in our article: What is 3pl software for warehouses?
4.) Effective training
Training your warehouse managers in how to effectively manage the warehouse is a crucial step in improving warehouse efficiency.
Filling skills gaps through necessary training and encouraging knowledge sharing will facilitate the smooth running of warehouse operations and lead to efficiencies being made business wide. Implement a central knowledge hub, a sharing system that can be accessed across the workforce to help improve efficiency within the warehouse.
5.) Organisation
A key way to improve warehouse efficiency is to organise workstations effectively. Not only does a clutter-free workspace improve productivity, as time is no longer wasted in the search for equipment, it will also become a far safer environment to work in and will boost team morale and improve customer service.
Transform your warehouse operations today
At Optima Warehouse Solutions we pride ourselves on providing high quality but cost-effective 3PL warehouse management software (WMS) systems to the warehouse industry and logistics companies.
Contact us to discover how our 3PL systems can transform your operations and make them more efficient today.
