Several companies may prefer to utilize new employees in the shipping and receiving area, although they may be better served to allocate pros to deal with these challenging tasks. Qualified people who really know and understand the products seldom mix things which are similar in appearance but are quite different and they know how to properly stock shelves and bins and thus, work more effectively.
The best suggestion for new staff is to start them out filling orders. This provides them with an excellent chance to learn the products, clients and paperwork as well as any electronic inventory system which might take some getting used to. Furthermore, it is really easy to check their effectiveness by going over their work orders once they are packed for delivery.
The next suggestion is to schedule the truck arrival, because you really do not want all trucks to come at the same time. By scheduling arrivals and being organized, you will eliminate excessive waiting time in the yard and also eliminate pressure on shippers and receivers. The more effectively you can plan the arrival of your trucks, the less dock doors you will have to work which would truly save you money on utilities in the long run.
If you are able to, operate different shifts for shipping and receiving. One method is to receive goods in one shift and separate the shipped products to another shift. Organizing yourself in this manner could allow you to reduce the staging area needs by 50%. You might also be able to get rid of time-wasting bottlenecks in the warehouse. Furthermore, by separating your shipping and receiving, you would know which shift to look over if any discrepancies happen down the road and could keep track of orders more effectively.
Speed up the process of unloading. This will really help you out as the longer a truck sits at your door for loading or unloading, the more congested your yard can become. Based on studies, about 60 percent of mass merchants could unload trucks in less than an hour, whereas about 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 how your facility measures up overall.
Floor maintenance is key because floor defects can cause lift truck operators to take detours or slow down. This may lead to a reduction of productivity. Uneven floors or deteriorating floor section seams or potholes also lead to wheel wear and vehicle damage. In certain cases, floors that are really damaged can lead to product damage and loads tipping.