Warehouses can get messy and disorganized quickly, especially during the slow season. The overflow of merchandise can make your warehouse feel claustrophobic and it becomes difficult to find what you need. Here are six tips for organizing your warehouse:
1. Group popular items together.
When it comes to warehouse organization, follow the 80-20 rule. In your business, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your merchandise. Identify the SKU numbers of these items, and group them all together in your warehouse. Pulling merchandise, stocking, and ordering will become much more efficient and productive if you follow this method.
2. Use bulk bins.
Heavy duty storage bins are your best friend for getting all those small items and boxes out of the way. Stackable storage bins create much needed space on your warehouse floor. Heavy duty bins also make it easier to label and find merchandise. Storage bins through a company like Garland's Inc allow you to have more small items on hand since you will be able to fit more of them in a bin than you can a box.
3. Use pictures.
Instead of using a SKU or a handwritten label, take a picture of the item and stick the picture on the box or bin. Employee productivity will significantly increase. Rather than scanning the SKU label and matching it with the UPC, they only need to look at the picture. Using pictures also makes your warehouse more organized since you can immediately identify and group like merchandise.
4. Have a place for everything.
Make sure all the space in your warehouse has a purpose and that everything there has a place. Make sure all the equipment has room for storage and isn't cluttering the aisles. Provide a workspace for your employees to receive and sort products. Also provide cleanup and recycling stations. If you have anything cluttering the aisles, make a specific space for it.
5. Approve and double check all orders.
You or a manager should approve and double check all warehouse orders. The biggest enemy of any well-organized warehouse is overstock. Though it may be time-consuming, all orders need to be looked over before they are submitted.
6. Mark off areas with tape.
Use colored duct tape to mark areas of your warehouse. You can use a different color for each section of the warehouse and to separate merchandise by store area. You can also section off merchandise areas by aisle. Your employees can use this method of warehouse organization to quickly identify areas where merchandise is stored. They won't have to hunt through the warehouse to see where certain merchandise goes.
These six tips are sure to make your warehouse organized and efficient.
Share12 July 2015
When it comes to ordering industrial equipment for a new business or big project, it can be tough trying to keep track of everything that needs attention. Not only do you have to make sure that your new equipment is in proper working order, but you need to learn about the warranties and insurance plans that come with them in case of an accident or breakdown. You also have to make sure that employees are properly trained about how to manage and maintain the new equipment. There is no need to invest in costly training programs for successful implementation of your new equipment – you can use the tips and tricks on this blog to get the job done.
