Even though there are lots of companies who start employees in the receiving area, they will be a lot better off to allot pro's to deal with the put-away jobs. Qualified individuals who understand and know the products seldom mix objects which might seem the same but are quite different and they know how to correctly stock shelves and bins and therefore, work more efficiently.
The best tip for new employees is to start them out filling orders. This provides them with an excellent chance to learn the products, paperwork and clients along with any electronic inventory system which might take some getting used to. Additionally, it is very easy to check their effectiveness by going over their work orders when they are packed for shipment.
The next suggestion is to plan the truck arrival, since you really do not want all trucks to come at the same time. By being organized and planning arrivals, you would eliminate excessive waiting time in the yard and also eliminate pressure on shippers and receivers. The more effectively you can schedule the arrival of your trucks, the less dock doors you will have to operate that would save you a lot of money on utilities in the long run.
Work 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 can enable you to lessen the staging area needs by 50 percent. You may also be able to eliminate time-wasting bottlenecks within the warehouse. As well, 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 process of unloading is sped up, this would tremendously help you out as the unloaded truck could congest your yard. According to research, approximately 60% of mass merchants could unload trucks in under an hour, while approximately 20 to 30% of the grocery business performs at a similar standard. Take time to observe and time operations in order to see exactly how your facility measures up overall.
Floor maintenance is crucial since floor defects may 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 cause vehicle damage and wheel wear. In certain cases, floors that are really damaged could lead to loads tipping and product damage.