Whether you run a small business, or a massive multinational company with customers all over the world, warehouse productivity is crucial to your success. Whether your warehouse isn’t much more than a store cupboard, or it’s a vast expanse, running it well can be the difference between your business running smoothly and growing, and failure. Warehouse efficiency and productivity mean that your stock levels are well managed, turnover from order to shipping is quick, customers are happy and customer service is improved and the space that you are working in is optimised.
You won’t achieve a well-run warehouse without good employee productivity. Here’s a look at some of the ways that you can boost employee productivity in your warehouse.
Hire the Right Team
Many businesses make the mistake of hiring the cheapest staff they can. Often new hires have no experience and very little interest in their work. Try to find a balance. Look for experience as well as enthusiasm and try to find people with a genuine interest in learning more about your business.
Commit to Training
Training is an important part of productivity. Train your staff well, use a buddy system for new starters and offer refresher training when you make any changes to practices and systems.
Keep on Top of the Basics
Things like keeping your warehouse clean and tidy might not seem like a big deal, but they can make a huge difference to productivity. Make sure cleaning standards are high, and that your cleaning team have everything that they need to do a good job.
Invest in Quality Equipment
Your warehouse staff also need good tools and equipment to do their jobs well. This can include things like electronic warehouse management systems, but also forklift trucks. Multy Lift offers a range of three and four-wheel electric forklifts. If you buy an electric forklift from Multy Lift, you’ll know that you’ve got a quality product to help you improve productivity, but also safety and efficiency, and even sustainability.
Work with Your Warehouse Staff to Review Layout
The layout of your warehouse is imperative to productivity. A poor, illogical layout means that your team are spending longer than they need to on the most basic of tasks. However, you shouldn’t just rush in and reorganise yourself. Go around the warehouse with senior members of your team and let them guide you. They are the best people to bring logic to their workplace.
Consider a Larger Space
If you can afford it, a larger warehouse can make a big difference. More space makes it easier to keep order and avoid chaos. It also gives you room to scale up when you are ready.
Increase the Presence of Management
Warehouses are often neglected by managers who think that they’ve got more important things to do. This can mean that the warehouse team grow complacent, and mistakes are ignored. Increasing managerial presence, or creating a new role entirely, can give your team a chance to learn from their mistakes and find better ways to do things.
Treat Your Staff Well
Treating your staff members well, with good rates of pay, flexibility, bonuses, and respect, means that they are more likely to work hard for you. Productive staff lead to a well-run warehouse, which in turn leads to happy, content staff, good morale, lower staff turnover and fewer mistakes. Work with your staff to boost their productivity and the benefits are endless.
