Even though there are lots of companies who begin workers in the receiving area, they will be a lot better off to allot professionals to handle the put-away tasks. Experienced individuals who really understand and know the products rarely mix objects that are similar in appearance but are quite different and they really know how to properly stock shelves and bins and thus, work much more effectively.
The best suggestion for new employees is to start them out filling orders. This provides them with a terrific chance to learn the products, paperwork and customers along with any electronic inventory system that may 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.
Since you do not want to have a lot of trucks arriving at the same time, the next step is to schedule truck arrival. By being organized and planning arrivals, you will eliminate pressure on shippers and receivers and also eliminate excessive waiting time in the yard. The more efficiently you can plan the arrival of your trucks, the less dock doors you will have to work which will really save you money on utilities in the long run.
Operate with different shifts for shipping and receiving. If you can, receive products in one shift and separate your shipping to another shift. Organizing yourself in this manner can enable you to reduce the staging area requirements by 50 percent. You may also be able to get rid of time-wasting bottlenecks in the warehouse. Also, by separating your shipping and receiving, you can keep track of orders more effectively and would know which shift to look over if any discrepancies happen down the road.
If the unloading process is sped up, this would really help you out because the unloaded truck could congest your yard. According to research, approximately 60% of mass merchants are capable of unloading trucks in less than 60 minutes, whereas roughly 20 to 30 percent of the grocery industry performs at a similar standard. Make time to observe and time operations to be able to see how your facility measures up overall.
Maintain your floors because any defects in the surface of the floor can cause a lift truck operator to take a detour or slow down. The uneven floors can really reduce productivity. Uneven floors or deteriorating floor section seams or potholes also lead to wheel wear and vehicle damage. In certain situations, really damaged floors can lead to product damage and loads tipping.