The warehouse is where some of the most important work happens for ecommerce businesses. It’s where products are safely stored and where they are picked and packed to be sent out to customers.
A poorly run warehouse can cause a huge range of problems, making dispatching orders slow and delaying the rest of the delivery process.
Getting your warehouse in shape can improve your business in a number of ways, delivering a better customer experience and making your employees happier too. Take a look at some of the ways you might be able to get your warehouse on the right track.
Here’s a guide that details the process for setting KPIs (key performance indicators) step-by-step for teams.
Get the right equipment
Whether it be hard hats, high-visibility vests or simply latex gloves, the physical equipment must dealt with professionally. Not only are these seemingly simple points potentially the source of legal issues, but the exact equipment you use must comply with regulations. You can get a free trial of reusable cut-resistant gloves here for example. That could be the sort of detail that makes or breaks legal compliance, enables you to get insurance or even reassures your lawyers about potential lawsuits!
Get the Right Warehouse Software
The software that you use in your warehouse is one of the most important tools to keep everything running smoothly. A warehouse management system (WMS) collects the data that you need to run your warehouse efficiently.
You can optimize the processing and delivery of orders, finding the places where you can make improvements. An inventory management system will help you to ensure you’re not wasting time, money, and space on inventory that you don’t need or suffering delays from low inventory number.
Investing in the right software can be a gamechanger for your warehouse and your ecommerce business.
Design How Items Are Moved Around
Moving inventory efficiently through your warehouse is a must, whether incoming stock needs to be stored or orders need to be picked for packing and delivery. When there are obstacles and bottlenecks, everything can be slower than it should be.
Smart conveyor system design will mean that things can move more quickly and efficiently through your warehouse. There are several different types of conveyors that can be used in your warehouse. Belt conveyors, roller conveyors, and more can be combined with ecommerce sortation and order picking systems to create an efficient warehouse setup.
Improve Storage Systems
The right storage for your warehouse makes it easier to pick orders and can also help you use your warehouse space as efficiently as possible. One of the most important things to do is to use the right storage options for different items. Some things might be better stored in buckets and boxes, while others might need to be stacked on shelves.
Making use of the vertical space that’s available can help you to save space so that more can be stored, and more space is available for navigating the warehouse too.
Evaluate Your KPIs
Your warehouse software can help you to track some of the most important data, but it’s essential to check that you have the right KPIs first. Your key performance indicators should help you to assess productivity and expenses so that you can find ways to save time and money in your warehouse. Tracking the right metrics will give you the data that you need to really understand what’s happening in your warehouse and what you can do to make it run better.
Get your ecommerce warehouse into shape, and you could make it more efficient and productive, improving your whole ecommerce business.
