Organizing Your Warehouse: Four Steps To Consider
Your warehouse is the heart of your company's inventory management system, and having an organized space can help streamline many operational processes. If you feel as though your warehouse is out of order, consider the following organization ideas to implement.
New Shelving Structures
You may already have shelves in your warehouse, but you may want to take a closer look at how well they work for you. Having shelves lined along the walls may not be the most efficient use of space, and having shelves that are too small can prevent you from keeping all your goods organized. Consider new shelving structures arranged into aisles throughout the warehouse. Keep the space between shelving structures wide enough to fit pallet jacks and forklifts as needed. Examine the average size of boxes stored in your warehouse, and adjust the spacing accordingly. You may find that you can fit more shelves in the warehouse by simply rearranging the spacing between each one.
Implement A Barcode System
A barcode system can help you track inventory as it is moved on and off of shelves. Consider creating barcodes for each type of item you store in your warehouse. Place labels on the boxes and add corresponding labels to each shelf. This can help your warehouse staff ensure items are properly stored, which makes finding inventory a bit easier. When merchandise is shipped out, simply scan the barcodes to enter the information into your inventory system. You can purchase a barcode printer, scanner, and software to implement this organization system.
Create A Separate Receiving Area
Adding a separate receiving area in the warehouse gives your crew a place to stage items for proper storage on shelves. As shipments arrive, pallets can be placed in this area until they are sorted. Your staff can then reorganize pallets and add barcode labels to each box. From there, the process of loading the items onto shelves is a simple one. Be sure that you don't use this area for outgoing shipments as well, as this can lead to confusion and missing inventory.
Perform Regular Checks
Once your shelves, barcode system, and receiving area are put into place, it's time to begin performing regular checks of the warehouse. Consider daily audits to see if items are being put in their proper places. Check barcodes on boxes against the corresponding barcodes on shelves. If you find discrepancies, you can work with your staff to reorganize inventory so all goods are returned to their rightful places.
Contact a company, like Warehouse Equipment Solutions, for more help.
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