The way you take care of your warehouse elucidates your warehouse and business performance. Poorly organized systems, wrong shipment and over-handling of products will not only increase safety risks on the floor but will also affect your operations and profits at large!

Featured here are five common warehouse management mistakes, which can be avoided to keep your operations running smoothly!

1. Not digitizing the records

Most warehouses do not follow a proper inventory management processes. In the age of IoT, it is essential you have a digital system that allows you to record your purchases, sales, inventory, etc. Barcodes, scanners, and RFID technology will also help reduce the time required to update inventory, speed up the stocking process and reduce errors. If you don’t have a digital management system yet, consider investing in it this year.

2. Stacking unnecessary or left-out inventory

Storing left-out inventory leads to messy loading docks, aisles, and overfilled pallets. This kind of mess obstructs the path and restricts the smooth flow of forklifts, goods, and people. It can also impact your production process and increasing unnecessary labor costs.  Consider doing an evaluation of inventory and clean out which you think is no longer useful.

3. Improper picking methods

Improper picking methods can add to warehouse costs and affect production rates. Label each product with a barcode, it will aid in quick identification of the items and makes picking easy.

4. Sloppy safety

Safety-related issues often get overlooked in warehouses, and which if not identified and rectified on time can lead to loss of life and business. Don’t ignore reported or near-miss incidents caused by unstable racking. Implement adequate safety measures to make your warehouse safe and operating at its optimum levels.

5. Disorganized warehouse

Carelessly placed inventory, packaging materials etc. are safety hazards and affect the productivity of employees. Ensure a strict housekeeping regime at the end of each shift. It will enable the staff to start the shift productively. What’s more, an organized warehouse shows high standards of staff and make them feel proud of their workplace.