Warehouse productivity is vital for warehouse managers to improve upon and maintain, however with the ever-changing digital landscape, labour, staffing, workloads, and scheduling, some may question what areas should be focussed on, and what the most effective methods for improving warehouse operations and warehouse productivity, actually are?
Every business differs, and there is no one-size answer to fit all, however, The Logistics and Warehouse Specialists at The Supply Chain Consulting Group (SCCG) can offer some valuable, professional insights, into what changes to make, why, and when, to ensure you effectively improve your warehouse operations, which ultimately impact upon productivity, and efficiency.
The SCCG team are specialist and highly experienced Warehouse and Distribution Centre Consultants, who excel in reviewing current process and operations and developing solutions for all areas of Materials Handling; Procurement, and Warehouse and Inventory Management including: Tactical Stock Locations, Picking processes, Inventory Control and Demand Planning, Vendor Support Operations, and Warehouse Performance and Cost Measurement with specific expertise in e-fulfilment operations.
There are many ways in which your warehouse operations can be improved, below are the
Top 5 Suggestions from The Supply Chain Consulting Group’s own Specialist Warehouse Consultants:
1. Review your current processes, productivity and efficiency
At SCCG, we always endeavour to undertake the widest review possible to ensure elements of your warehouse, picking and despatch processes are not ‘sub-optimised’.
2. Consider warehouse layout, design, and future-proofing
As Warehouse and Distribution Centre Design Consultants, we have a detailed knowledge and understanding of what is actually required to operate an efficient Distribution Centre; including: warehouse picking / despatch operations, implementation of racking, or improving operations across facilities. As Consultants we are also adept at designing new-build warehouses and re-configure existing ones, whilst adhering to individual future growth planning horizons.
3. Embrace technology and streamline your warehouse operations
In this ever-digital age, embracing technology can be beneficial to your business. Technologies including Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Materials Handling Systems (MHS) such as automated conveyors, when paired with barcoding and scanners, can ensure better designed and more efficient warehouse processes, and improved inventory management procedures.
4. Choose your WMS System wisely
Here at SCCG, we can determine the most suitable WMS system for your business. Using a WMS is highly recommended by the Warehouse Specialists, to enable your business to manage demand forecasting, and centralized management of tasks including tracking inventory levels and stock locations.
5. Manage your Inventory
Inventory is a critical element to most businesses, all inventories need to be of the right quality, positioned in the right place, at the right time, and in the right quantity. The highly skilled team of warehouse consultants at SCCG have considerable knowledge and experience in defining policies, formulae and calculations that can ensure your inventory levels are fully optimised, justified and balanced with all the functional needs of your warehouse operations.
