Finding more effective ways to manage warehouse operations can provide businesses with a range of potential benefits. Superior efficiency can help to educe overhead, eliminate instances of waste and minimizing shipping and delivery times. Performing a periodic checkup to assess the overall state of the warehouse could make a bigger difference than you might imagine.
Establish Goals and Benchmarks
Lacking for a concise and clearly defined goal is a real liability. A performance benchmark can help to produce more accurate insight and information regarding the state of operations or the impact that any changes may be having following their implementation. Failing to develop a plan or to outline the goals of your warehouse operation can leave you without the ability to take action or to make the right choice when it comes time to make a decision.
Conducting Periodic Audits
Assessing the efficiency of current practices and policies can help you to identify any workflow processes that may be in need of either attention or improvement. Ideally, the detailed information regarding day-to-day operations needs to be as up-to-date and as complete as possible. You would do well to consider building management and site maintenance issues like lighting and plumbing fixtures or the burner service and other utilities when conducting an audit. You will want to make sure they check your emission efficiency and safety testing. You should make sure your safety tune-up checks for the following:
- Combustion analysis
- Emission, efficiency and safety testing
- Conversion and replacement
- Gas/Oil and alternative fuels
- High-turndown burners
- Low NOx Emission gas/oil burners
- Controls calibration, replacement and upgrades
Speaking with the Staff
The warehouse staff and the employees or associates who serve as the point-of-contact with all policies and workflow processes may possess unique insights. Business owners and warehouse managers who overlook the assistance and solutions their staff may be able to provide could end up missing out on quite a lot. Making n effort to involve your staff or to encourage greater participation from warehouse workers and associates can often be very rewarding.
Fine-Tuning the Process
A common mistake made by many business owners is to assume that a warehouse management system or operational process that is sufficient to meet the needs of today will continue to provide the same level of performance and results in the days ahead. Many improvements require a little trial-and-error in order to calibrate effectively and you would do well to adopt a long-term approach regarding the overall efficiency of your warehouse. The information that a checkup periodic assessment is able to produce is often only part of the solution. Further action may be required in order to ensure that any efforts and changes made are able to be as effective as possible.
Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from West Jordan, Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing and spending time with her dog, Max.
