There are plenty of mistakes to be made in warehouse management, but the good news is that almost all of them are avoidable. We help warehouses all over the United States with their warehouse equipment, and we’ve seen it all when it comes to equipment mistakes. Here are some of the most common ones we’ve encountered in 2016…see if you recognize any in your own warehouse and learn how to rectify these mistakes in the New Year.
Recognize Any of These Common Mistakes?
Not routinely inspection your warehouse equipment.
You rely on your warehouse equipment on a daily basis. Because of that, everything from your pallet shelves to your forklifts to your dollies can take a serious beating. When these items are damaged, it can be a danger to your team and to your inventory. Make sure you are regularly inspection all of your equipment and taking steps to fix issues when you find them.
Ignoring “minor” housekeeping items.
Doing a seemingly minor chore such as sweeping or wiping down cartons might seem insignificant, but not doing these little things can add up to a very big problem. Encourage your team to keep up with these small tasks and check that they’ve been done. Not doing them can create a warehouse environment that’s messy, disorganized, and could even be a safety hazard.
Cluttering pallet shelves with old paperwork.
Warehouses seem to love hanging onto old paperwork. When warehouses call us to say they’ve run out of inventory storage in their warehouse, one of the first things we ask is how much old paperwork they are storing. Get familiar with the laws about how much paperwork you actually need to keep and how far back you need to keep records on hand. If you don’t need it, recycle it and get it off of your shelves.
Holding onto old inventory.
It’s too tempting to hold onto old inventory; after all, you paid for it, why would you get rid of it now? Because old inventory is taking up important space on your warehouse shelves. That’s costing you money. If you aren’t going to be selling the item again, you need to get rid of it. Chalk it up to waste and make space for inventory that’s actually going to make you money.
Not training staff regularly.
Don’t neglect the needs of your staff. Training is important not only to the safety of your warehouse but also to the development of your team. Help them improve their skill set through additional training and be sure you continually train them on safety matters. This will help improve the safety rates, lower costs, and improve the morale of your warehouse.
See any familiar mistakes on this list? Our warehouse team can help you rectify them and start with a clean slate in 2017. Get in touch with us today by giving us a call or contact us through our website to speak with a warehouse consultant about the services or warehouse equipment you need to start the year off right.
