Introduction
Warehouse management is a vital function as it is one of the foundations of an organisation. A disorganised warehouse would lead to ineffective tracking of products and mismanagement of inventory, with deliveries not taking place on time. All these factors can cause a loss in revenue and reputation for an organisation. With the global number of warehouses expected to reach around 180,000 by 2025, there is vast scope to implement warehouse space optimisation techniques to manage warehouses better. This article provides a brief overview of how to make your warehouse more efficient and enable organisations to achieve optimal warehouse efficiency.
How to organise your warehouse
When searching for solutions on optimising warehouse operations, one comes across several warehouse organisation ideas, which fall under three major categories.
Warehouse layout
A warehouse layout is the planned design of a warehouse to streamline overall operations, and it directly impacts the efficiency and productivity of the warehouse. The design process includes strategically planning a facility layout that can properly utilise available space, help streamline operations, boost productivity, and reduce expenses. A well-planned warehouse layout design can provide easy access to stored goods, minimise travel time, and improve order fulfilment rates. While designing and finalising a warehouse layout, factors such as product rotation, the flow of goods into the warehouse, desired stock level, storage system, types of handling equipment to be used, and human resources need to be kept in mind.
Inventory organisation/management
Warehouse inventory management is a process that involves receiving, storing, and tracking inventory. If mismanaged, it impacts fulfilment, shipping, and customer experience. It is a process that keeps track of assets, categorises inventory, and uses proper storage methods to maximise space and improve efficiencies. It also includes replenishment of stock when the set minimum quantities are reached. Proper classification of inventory, utilisation of proper storage devices, slotting strategy, and proper documentation are some factors that need to be implemented to maintain proper inventory management. A few methods on how to organise warehouse shelving include focussing on the quality and quantity of the shelving, the nature of the organisation’s operations, and the size and volume of products.
Clean workspaces
A clean workspace prevents damage to inventory and increases productivity. Routine cleaning procedures must be practised to maintain warehouse operations at maximum efficiency. Employees need to be properly trained to follow guidelines, perform regular maintenance, and keep aisles free of clutter. A operations and supply chain management certification course will help warehouse managers respond to rising supply chain and operation challenges.
Five ways to gain flexibility in your warehouse
Flexibility in the warehouse encompasses many levels, including space utilisation, cycle counting, labour management, reporting and management in receiving, quality control, inventory tracking, order processing, and shipping, among other tasks. Maintaining flexibility in the warehouse is essential to keeping the organisation and fulfilment process running smoothly and efficiently. Supply chain management certification courses will help professionals learn essential technology, concepts, and warehouse management strategies.
Here are a few key areas to ensure optimum flexibility in the warehouse:
Maintain the right amount of product
Ensuring that the warehouse maintains the right quantity of product is essential as this helps in properly utilising warehouse space and avoids wastage. A clear inventory tracking plan is critical to gaining this flexibility in the warehouse.
Optimise the layout of the warehouse
The layout of the warehouse can significantly impact the flexibility of available space. Choose a layout that can be adapted easily for growth and scalability.
Adoption of automation technology
Every warehouse is different, and this factor challenges the adoption of automation technology. However, mobile automation can help streamline various warehouse operations, thus saving workforce, money, and time.
Utilise barcode technology
Barcode technology helps reduce labour and allows for a more accurate and transparent system. This technology is highly effective in tracking products and orders and ensures accuracy in the fulfilment process.
Invest in technologies
Building a warehouse management technology solution will help organisations run their operations more efficiently. A warehouse management system (WMS) is a technology solution that automates inventory control and synchronises the different functional processes in the facility. Apart from WMS, advanced technologies such as blockchain, big data, IoT, and AI help boost warehouse operations’ performance.
Conclusion
Warehouse operations are vital in ensuring on-time product delivery to the customer. Proper planning and controlling of the resources are essential to make warehouse storage more flexible. Warehouse management ensures all the processes, from the arrival of the product to the storage and deployment of inventory, are streamlined. Good warehouse management provides prompt, high-quality service at affordable costs.
