It sometimes seems difficult to improve warehouse productivity even further. I hear you thinking: my employees are already working fast. Or: surely I have a WMS? True, but there are a number of measures you can implement to work even more efficiently in the department store.
Reorganise the warehouse
Which products are the most popular? Place these in a strategic position in the warehouse. For this, use vertical, automated storage systems which automatically place popular products close to the warehouse worker.
Let technology bring the goods
Amazon deployed Kiva robots around the holidays to collect orders. The robots brought the tray containing the required products to the order picker, who then processed the order. This makes the work a bit more monotonous for the warehouse worker, but it saves him quite a lot of running time.
Measure staff performance
Of course, you trust your warehouse staff. However, it is a well-established fact that employees work faster and more accurately simply because they know their performance is being measured.
Use ASN (Advanced Shipping Notification)
ASN informs warehouse managers of the time a consignment is due to arrive. This information is crucial for ensuring sufficient staff are scheduled.
Implement pick-to-voice or pick-to-light
Systems like these not only speed up order picking but also reduce employee errors. The technology informs order pickers of the exact location and quantity required of a product. As a result, the employee does not have to search for the product number and order size on a piece of paper.
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Image: Mark Hunter (cc)
