Take the following questionnaire to assess your warehouse operations. If you answer Yes to 15 or more questions, give yourself a pat on the back. On the other hand, if you have 10 or more No answers, there are definitely opportunities for improvements. Remember a well run warehouse saves the company money and provides excellent customer service.
20 Question Quiz – Warehouse Operations
| Question | Yes | No | |
| 1 | Are initiatives to improve warehouse efficiency regularly considered and acted on? | ||
| 2 | Is the receiving department properly notified in advance of all inbound shipments and customer returns? | ||
| 3 | Is the slotting and storage space preplanned based on the advanced receiving notices? | ||
| 4 | Are appropriate and efficient methods for material handling in place? | ||
| 5 | Is double handling of material excessive? | ||
| 6 | Is there a process in place to reconcile outbound shipments with the customer orders? | ||
| 7 | Are cycle counts (spot checks) regularly completed to audit the accuracy of inventory records? | ||
| 8 | Are there documented warehouse operating procedures that are current and on file? | ||
| 9 | Is there a current Auto CAD drawing of the warehouse layout available and in use? | ||
| 10 | Is the optimal storage space being utilized considering the types of products being warehoused, storage methods and material handling requirements? | ||
| 11 | Are the shipping and receiving staging areas properly sized so that they support the outbound/inbound work processes? | ||
| 12 | Is there a safety and accident prevention program in effect? | ||
| 13 | Are the warehouse operators properly qualified to perform their assigned functions? | ||
| 14 | Are there a set of operating metrics in place that can be used to monitor the performance of the warehouse? | ||
| 15 | Does the warehouse manager properly plan and schedule work on a daily/weekly basis? | ||
| 16 | Is the order cycle time (receipt of order to time of shipment) under 48 hours? | ||
| 17 | Is there a policy in place to monitor inventory levels (i.e. weeks of supply and inventory turns)? | ||
| 18 | Are the products and pick bin locations been properly located (slotted) in order to ensure efficient order processing? | ||
| 19 | Are the shipping errors less than 1 % of the total shipments? | ||
| 20 | Is the warehouse using bar coding, scanning and RF technology to support operations and inventory control? |