New Techniques To Increase Warehouse Productivity
Many warehouse operations are on an ongoing journey to maximize productivity and reduce waste (in time and resources). Regardless of how smooth your warehouse may run, there's always room for improvement. Warehouses are constantly changing with new complex technology and operations, so you can continually improve productivity. To help you find new opportunities for improvement and efficiency, we've put together four new techniques to increase warehouse productivity.
Cross-Train Your Workforce
Cross-training is the practice of training your employees in various roles or training them to do tasks outside of their usual position. Training your team to perform different tasks can help boost your productivity. This is because your operations can continue even when a person is absent. Cross-training also allows your employees to feel invested in the business. When your workforce feels engaged, they'll stick around a bit longer!
Optimize Your Layout
By managing your warehouse layout, you can increase efficiency. Optimizing your warehouse layout can be challenging because a distribution warehouse is technically out of space when things occupy 85 percent of its total area. You can improve your setup by:
Extending your racks vertically
Reducing aisle width in the racking areas
Identifying underutilized space
Install a mezzanine
Reduce Idle Time
When you want to increase productivity, you must reduce idle time. There are several ways to change your productivity levels by making it easier for your employees to be productive. If you haven't changed anything to make your employees' jobs more manageable, you can't expect them to complete their tasks faster and more efficiently. Some ways to cut idle time include:
Strategically placing your items
Organizing your workstations
Listening and acting on employee feedback
Improving safety precautions
Revamping manager training
Invest in New Technology
Another way to improve productivity is to invest in the latest technology. Warehouses should have technologies that help keep up with production, consumer demand, and manufacturing. Using technology minimizes human error, lower risks of injury, and allows you to add more flexibility to your operating hours. By including technology like AMR Solutions, you can double your productivity and reduce idle time.
Increasing productivity in your warehouse should always be your number one priority. It allows you to meet demands without overworking your employees. You can vastly improve your business by using these new techniques to increase warehouse productivity. They allow you to invest time in your employees, maximize your layout, reduce time waste, and invest money in new technological solutions.
