Some companies might prefer to utilize new workers in the shipping and receiving area, although they might be better served to assign pros to deal with these demanding tasks. Experienced people who know and understand the products seldom mix items which are similar in appearance but are somewhat different and they know how to properly stock shelves and bins and thus, work more effectively.
It is a good idea if you have new employees to start them out by filling orders. This provides them with a great opportunity to know the products, paperwork and customers along with any electronic inventory system that could take some getting used to. In addition, it is easy to check their efficiency by going over their work orders once they are packed for shipment.
The next suggestion is to plan the truck arrival, because you really do not want all trucks to arrive at the same time. By being organized and scheduling arrivals, you will eliminate too much waiting time in the yard and also eliminate pressure on shippers and receivers. The more efficiently you could plan the arrival of your trucks, the fewer dock doors you will need to work which would truly save you money on utilities in the long run.
Operate with different shifts for shipping and receiving. If you are able to, receive products in one shift and separate your shipping to another shift. Organizing yourself in this way may allow you to lessen the staging area requirements by 50 percent. You may also be able to eliminate time-wasting bottlenecks within the warehouse. What's more, by separating your shipping and receiving, you will know which shift to look over if any discrepancies occur down the road and can keep track of orders more effectively.
If the unloading process is sped up, this would really help you out since the unloaded truck can congest your yard. Based on studies, around 60% of mass merchants are capable of unloading trucks in less than 60 minutes, while about 20 to 30% of the grocery business works at a similar standard. Make time to observe and time operations to be able to see how your facility measures up overall.
Floor maintenance is crucial since floor defects may cause forklift operators to slow down or take detours. This can lead to a reduction of efficiency. Uneven floors or deteriorating floor section seams or potholes also lead to vehicle damage and wheel wear. In certain cases, really damaged floors could cause product damage and loads tipping.