Warehouse Operations Checklist
Warehouse Operations Checklist. Top 10 considerations for running an excellent warehouse.
- Safety – this will always be at the top of any warehouse operations checklist. Consideration for employee safety is paramount. Items that can be safety risk factors are material handling equipment, storage systems, loading docks, aisle widths, material handling precautions, etc.
- Staging Area – a well designed staging area will improve the flow and management of in-bound and out-bound material processing. A good rule of thumb for sizing the staging area is 10 – 15% of the overall warehouse space. This may be even higher if your company ‘cross-docks’ a significant amount of orders
- Shipping & Receiving Doors – this is something that may already be an issue because of the building your company owns or leases. If you are shopping for a new location, take the time to analyze the warehouse operating data. Take 12 months of Receipts and 12 months of Shipments to quantify how many doors you need
- Warehouse Work Procedures – make sure that all your employees are educated as to the company warehouse work processes. In addition to this, once a year review the existing work procedures in order to see if there is something that can be improved upon.
- Inventory Management Policy – the two things that negatively effect space management are too much inventory and obsolescence. Control your space commitments by ensuring that your company works toward a mandated ‘weeks of supply policy’ and regularly clean out obsolete inventory.
- System Support – your warehouse operations checklist should include an inventory location system. Use of bar coding, scanning and RF technology is a must when processing material in and out of the warehouse. These systems are not expensive.
- Management – make sure you have a warehouse manager who is trained to do the job. A good, experienced warehouse manager will make a big difference in the day to day operational efficiencies.
- Warehouse Layout – create a detailed map on Auto CAD of you warehouse layout. Review what works and what doesn’t. Be prepared to change the layout to better support your operational needs and workloads.
- Storage Systems – there are many different storage options available. Find the right balance between space utilization and product accessibility.
- Product Slotting – travel time represents the biggest labour component in warehousing. Slot your products in such a way that order processing results in the most efficient pick paths.