Some companies may prefer to utilize new workers in the shipping and receiving area, though they may be better served to assign professionals to handle these demanding tasks. Qualified individuals who understand and know the products rarely mix items that are similar in appearance but are somewhat different and they know how to stock shelves and bins properly and thus, work a lot more efficiently.
The best suggestion for new staff is to start them out filling orders. This provides them with an excellent opportunity to learn the products, clients and paperwork as well as any electronic inventory system that could take some getting used to. Furthermore, it is very easy to check their efficiency by going over their work orders once they are packed for shipment.
The next tip is to plan the truck arrival, since you truly do not want all trucks to arrive at the same time. By being organized and scheduling arrivals, you will eliminate excessive waiting time in the yard and also eliminate pressure on shippers and receivers. The more efficiently you can plan the arrival of your trucks, the fewer dock doors you would have to operate that will save you money on utilities in the long run.
If you can, operate different shifts for shipping and receiving. One method is to receive goods during one shift and separate the shipped products to a different shift. Organizing yourself in this manner could allow you to reduce the staging area needs by 50%. You may also be able to get rid of time-wasting bottlenecks in the warehouse. Additionally, by separating your shipping and receiving, you would know which shift to look over if any discrepancies occur down the road and could keep track of orders more efficiently.
If the unloading process is sped up, this will tremendously help you out since the unloaded truck could congest your yard. According to studies, around 60 percent of mass merchants can unload trucks in less than 60 minutes, whilst around 20 to 30% of the grocery business performs at a similar standard. Make time to observe and time operations to be able to see precisely how your facility measures up overall.
Floor maintenance is important because floor defects could cause forklift operators to take detours or slow down. This can lead to a reduction of efficiency. Potholes or uneven floors or deteriorating floor section seams also lead to vehicle damage and wheel wear. In certain cases, really damaged floors could cause product damage and loads tipping.