Warehouse Management: Everything You Need To Know
If you’re running a logistics company or you are simply supplying products to customers and clients, then a warehouse will be an essential part of your business model. As such, it’s important to think about the key details of warehouse management and what you need to know.
Get On The Cloud
You might think that technology like a cloud server is going to have absolutely nothing to do with running a warehouse, but don’t be so sure. A cloud server can actually be an incredibly vital aspect of running this area of your business. With a cloud, you will have a system that you can use to access and keep a check on your warehouse remotely. This means that you won’t have to head down there to check on levels of stock or issues with deliveries. If you use the cloud then all these variables can be monitored by you online without any problems at all. The other benefit here is that your staff and your team can use the same system.
They can use it to make updates, amend stock numbers and everything can be accessible by anyone operating in your business model. It’s secure, it’s efficient and it is the way that a lot of modern warehouses are now being managed by business professionals.
Keep It Clean And Tidy
Do make sure that you are working to keep your warehouse clean and tidy. There are multiple reasons why this is important. First, think about accidents in the workplace. These are quite common in environments like a warehouse where people can slip, fall or trip over things. Heavy machinery can cause issues in a location that isn’t clean or well maintained. An industrial cleaning company will be able to take care of this issue for you and ensure that you don’t have to worry about your warehouse becoming a health and safety nightmare.
The other thing to remember about keeping a warehouse clean is that it does protect the products. It ensures that they do arrive in the best condition to your customers and clients. It also helps ensure that no stock gets lost which can ultimately drive your costs through the roof and lead to a poor level of efficiency as well as bad reviews. Make sure that when you do choose a cleaning service, you only hire the best. You don’t want to have issues with quality in this area.
Hire The Best Team
Do make sure that you are hiring a great team to run and operate your business warehouse the right way. It’s important that you think about hiring a great warehouse manager or managers to run the show. As well as this, you need to think about the people on the lower levels because even one person not pulling their weight can cause massive issues here. Don’t cut costs by hiring low skilled workers. Instead, opt for the best and you can ensure that your warehouse is run well and operates the right way.
Don’t forget that issues here can also lead to more problems with health and safety and slow operations in your warehouse right down. This can have a ripple impact on your company, ultimately leading to a slow turnaround and generating poor reviews for your business. Again, these are issues that you definitely want to avoid if you can.
Location, Location, Location
The location of your warehouse is always going to be important and this is again related to turning around. You need to make sure that products are leaving and indeed entering your warehouse and on their way to your clients as quickly as possible. Will you be using transport links such as rail or even air services? If that’s the case, then you should make sure that your warehouse is close to these if possible and minutes away from being at the next stage of your logistics model. You should consider traffic levels too. You don’t want your warehouse to be difficult to access during typical business hours due to high levels of traffic.
Remember, your warehouse does not need to be close to the operating headquarters of your company. Instead, you should think about making sure that it is centred and in a position that makes it perfect as a starting point for all the areas that you serve. Or, if you are shipping to international clients, close to a major airport or even the docks.
Costs can be a consideration here too and different locations of warehouses can make them more or less expensive. So do consider how much money you have in your budget for this particular need. Again, it is worth spending more to ensure that get the absolutely best option possible.
Security Trouble
Finally, you do need to think in terms of security. It’s important to be aware that your website can be targeted by criminals, particularly if the items that are you stocking are valuable. You shouldn’t assume that if you are a small business you won’t have the issue. You very well still could so you need to think about the security options you need.
You should at the very least have CCTV systems set up on site, ready to record everyone accessing this business property. As well as acting as a deterrent, this could catch thieves red-handed. As well as CCTV, lighting is crucial. This is one of the ways that you can keep your warehouse safe after hours and once again, it could work as a deterrent against criminals considering breaking in.
You should consider the security aspects of a warehouse when you first purchase or rent the property. It should always be a top consideration.
We hope this helps you understand some of the main issues that you can have when managing a warehouse. As you can see there’s a lot to think about and this is one of the reasons why many companies will outsource warehouse management. By doing this, you can make sure that all these variables are handled by another company. In doing so, you can then focus on other areas of your business. You just need to make sure that you are selecting the right company for the job.
Author: Admin Charlie
Founding member of MoonProject.co.uk
