Several businesses might choose to use new workers in the shipping and receiving area, though they might be better served to allocate professionals to handle these demanding tasks. Experienced individuals who really know and understand the products rarely mix objects that might seem the same but are somewhat different and they know how to stock shelves and bins properly and hence, work much more efficiently.
The best tip for new employees is to start them out filling orders. This provides them with a great chance to learn the products, paperwork and customers along with any electronic inventory system that might take some getting used to. Additionally, it is easy to check their efficiency by going over their work orders once they are packed for shipment.
The next tip is to schedule the truck arrival, because you really do not want all trucks to come at the same time. By being organized and scheduling arrivals, you will 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 truly save you money on utilities in the long run.
If you can, work different shifts for shipping and receiving. One method is to receive goods during one shift and separate the shipped products to a different shift. Organizing yourself in this way may enable you to reduce the staging area needs by 50%. You may also be able to get rid of time-wasting bottlenecks in the warehouse. In addition, by separating your shipping and receiving, you could keep track of orders more efficiently and would know which shift to look over if any discrepancies occur down the road.
Speed up the unloading process. This will tremendously help you out as the longer a truck sits at your door for loading or unloading, the more congested your yard could become. Based on research, approximately 60% of mass merchants could unload trucks in less than an hour, while approximately 20 to 30 percent of the grocery business works at a similar standard. Take time to watch and time operations to be able to see exactly how your facility measures up overall.
Floor maintenance is important as floor defects can cause forklift operators to take detours or slow down. This could lead to a reduction of productivity. Potholes or deteriorating floor section seams or uneven floors also lead to vehicle damage and wheel wear. In some situations, floors that are really damaged can cause loads tipping and product damage.