A warehouse is the heart of any business operation, providing immediate access to products while keeping track of inventory coming in and out of a business’s doors. Without a strong supply chain, things can hit a snag almost immediately. Delays in distribution immediately lead to an issue in customer service and begin a reputation of inefficiency that will send prospective customers running the other way.
There are a few simple steps that any company can take to make sure a warehouse keeps its engine running, and allows operations to flow seamlessly for the betterment of distribution and customers alike.
Warehouse Layout
Any warehouse space is essentially a blank canvas for a high-quality operation. It is important to create the proper blueprint for a warehouse layout to create a durable plan that will assure a quick turnaround for restocking or sending. Whether you choose to design your warehouse on grid paper or online, ensure your measurements are accurate. Every square inch of space matters in a warehouse to determine where equipment can safely be installed and how boxes can be efficiently stacked.
E-commerce operations focus on accepting, storing, picking, packing, and shipping their items in a timely fashion. For example, Statewide Remodeling, a window contractor in Dallas, relies on the safe shipment and availability of replacement windows for whatever homeowners are seeking for installation. This can range from aluminum and vinyl windows to even French doors and patio doors that need to be accessible as soon as possible. Efficient windows are an important part of effective warehousing as well since new windows can make a difference to your employees’ mood and, therefore, productivity.
Proper warehousing not only allows for immediate distribution but can assure some peace of mind to purchasers and outside companies alike that may rely on the operation you’re running.
Proper Labeling and Inventory
The organization is key in making sure you have easy access to products in a warehouse. In creating a map for the layout of your warehouse, you should convert that layout into a map of where to place each of your company’s products.
Labeling boxes and bundles throughout your warehouse help to better control inventory numbers. Businesses add new product lines all the time, so it is important to evaluate what is moving and what isn’t in the warehouse. This avoids backlog in losing hot products by wading through the packages that aren’t moving their way out. It is important to shift stock around (usually on conveyors) for easy access, making for the best value for your future bottom line.
Inventory should be conducted on a monthly, quarterly, or annual schedule depending on the business. Label boxes with your inventory control numbers. You may even want to take digital photographs of each item and post it where the product is stored.
Delivering Attractive Packages
Beyond receiving packages in a timely fashion, customers are also eager to get those products in their possession safely. There’s nothing more discouraging than waiting for something you order, only for it to arrive in a box that is dented, seeping open, or showing water damage.
Properly installed shrink packaging systems offer innovative features that maximize speed and easily accommodate large size ranges and pack patterns for any company. Some shrink wrap is designed for the purpose of product collating and tray packing to assure safely wrapped items despite product size. These shrink packaging systems safely contour shrink film to products to assure a light casement to keep any fragile items properly protected.
Shrink bundlers and compact wrappers provide economical shrink wrapping of tray packed products that can properly seal items at up to 25 or 40 cycles per minute. This shrink packaging equipment allows workers to take any object out of inventory from the warehouse and put it right on the line to get out to the consumer.
Setting up or remodeling an effective warehouse takes a lot of attention to detail, but whether you’re thinking about noise reduction or window replacement, as long as your North Star is the idea of getting a product to the consumer as quickly and safely as possible, you’ll be just fine.
