Owning a business is difficult enough before you add any problems associated with logistics. This is a huge responsibility and should never be taken lightly, either by yourself or by your employees. Unlike many other areas of your business, there is a high risk of injury, and breakages in a warehouse tend to involve more than one item of stock and be very expensive.
Alongside this, you need to make sure that it is a well-functioning and organized space that can be operated with ease. Here are three ways in which you can achieve this without making yourself too unpopular with your workforce.
#1 Ensure your storage space is well organized
This can be critical when it comes to making sure your warehouse operation is functioning well. Not only will this make your workers’ lives far easier when it comes to busier days as they can know exactly where things are, but it is also good for new workers who are trying to find their way around the place and get used to the warehouse. It will also be helpful for you and your workers when it comes to needing to restock, as they can clearly see what is getting low and, therefore, what needs to be re-ordered.
#2 Make sure that you take care of your fleet and truckers
Making sure that you take care of your fleet of vehicles and your drivers is another key element when running a warehouse. They are the ones who ship goods to and from your store and therefore are the ones getting the products to your customers. By using specialized software, such as fleet management software, you can help your team work well and make sure deliveries are made on time, as well as take care of them and try to make their stressful jobs slightly easier.
#3 Make sure that everything is kept clean and hygienic
Making sure that everything is kept clean and hygienic is not only essential during the last 18 months but for the next 18 months and long after as well. On a related note, it can be a serious blow to your business if a customer finds a dead cockroach or pest in their item or that a box has been notably chewed by vermin.
Making sure things are cleaned properly and that workers don’t eat at their packing benches (never good at any time, but now more important than ever) and keeping boxes very well sealed can all be ways to increase the hygiene of your warehouse.
To wrap things up
When it comes to making your warehouse a better place, there are three major areas you need to think about: hygiene, organization, and transportation. This means looking after your workers, making sure things are well ordered, and helping your drivers and fleet with their journeys.
This sounds like a lot of work, but at the end of the day, it is all worth it if you are increasing productivity, efficiency and boosting your workers’ morale.
