Even though there are a lot of companies that begin workers in the receiving area, they would be much better off to allot pro's to handle the put-away jobs. Qualified people who know and understand the products rarely mix objects which are similar in appearance but are somewhat different and they know how to properly stock shelves and bins and hence, work more effectively.
It is a great idea if you have new employees to start them out by filling orders. This provides them with an excellent chance to know the products, paperwork and clients along with any electronic inventory system that can take some getting used to. Additionally, it is easy to check their effectiveness by going over their work orders when they are packed for shipment.
Since you do not want to have lots of trucks arriving at the same time, the next step is to plan truck arrival. By planning arrivals and being organized, you will eliminate too much waiting time in the yard and also eliminate pressure on receivers and shippers. The more effectively you could schedule the arrival of your trucks, the less dock doors you will have to operate which will save you money on utilities in the long run.
If you can, work different shifts for shipping and receiving. One method is to receive products during one shift and separate the shipped items to another shift. Organizing yourself in this way may allow you to lessen the staging area requirements by 50 percent. You might also be able to get rid of time-wasting bottlenecks within the warehouse. As well, by separating your shipping and receiving, you could keep track of orders more efficiently and would know which shift to look over if any discrepancies occur down the road.
If the unloading process is sped up, this would tremendously help you out as the unloaded truck can congest your yard. Based on research, about 60 percent of mass merchants can unload trucks in under an hour, whereas around 20 to 30% of the grocery business works at a similar standard. Make time to observe and time operations to be able to see exactly how your facility measures up overall.
Floor maintenance is crucial because floor defects can cause lift truck operators to take detours or slow down. This could result in a reduction of productivity. Uneven floors or deteriorating floor section seams or potholes also cause wheel wear and vehicle damage. In certain cases, really damaged floors can lead to loads tipping and product damage.