Avoid These Five Common Warehousing Mistakes

Supply chain and warehouse management take know-how and strict organisation. Mistakes can be costly and whilst it is true to say no two warehouses are exactly alike, there are some common mistakes that should be avoided.

Identifying signs that your warehouse isn’t optimised and performing regular checks can protect against unnecessary costs. With continued pricing pressure as well as volume spikes – it can be all too easy for errors to creep in.

Optimise Your Warehouse

Remaining vigilant and regularly reviewing warehousing processes ensures that you and your teams are a continually high-performing, streamlined operation, even during peak season.

1.Excess Inventory

This pitfall is an easy trap to fall in to and still one of the most prevalent mistakes. Bulk-buying can be attractive and reduce unit costs – however significant cash flow is then tied up in stock. Whilst larger discounts from suppliers are great, ask if stock can be delivered in batches as and when you need them. There is also the space the stock will utilise in your warehouse to consider.

2.Lack of Automation

It is unusual for a warehouse not to be automated, at least in part. Paper-based processes are a hindrance to efficiency and can lead to errors. A warehouse management system (WMS) allows employees to follow unified processes with ease, mitigates against lost or damaged paperwork and monitors inventory. Integration allows everyone in your organisation to benefit from the central information you log and hold, creating bespoke reports and permitting strategic decision making.

3.Poor Housekeeping

This one is easy to overlook when you are busy trying to get stock out of the door and honour tight delivery commitments. Over-filled pallets, stock stored inefficiently, messy loading docks – not only do they lead to safety issues, but they also reduce productivity and stall your operation. Individual employee output is affected as are stock control and deliveries, reducing the profitability of your site.

4.Closed Doors

Many new customers will wish to see first-hand that your warehouse is as impressive as you say and that you can fulfil their bespoke needs on a daily and continual basis. It will come down to a lot more than a tidy warehouse but in such a competitive industry, customers expect to be dazzled by your innovation, automated technologies and proven processes. Open doors give potential clients confidence and enable them to buy-in to your service and capabilities – helping you to attract more custom.

5.Non-Optimised Picking Paths

Efficient picking paths throughout your warehouse help support supply chain cycle times and contain labour costs thanks to optimal productivity. Operatives need to be able to complete each picking run at a location close to the despatch area. This isn’t always easy to achieve and should be monitored as inventory changes and new fast-moving lines are introduced…

Warehousing Expertise

Everything from an efficient warehouse management system to proper processes and training is essential to maintain effective and successful warehouse management. Your customers demand the best service on a daily basis. A business is rarely successful with the support of an inefficient warehouse.

EC Group provides agile fulfilment, handling and delivery solutions – ensuring you keep your promises and meet your deadlines. With over two million cubic feet of secure storage space, we can handle around 15,000 pallets and 12,000 SKUs – providing rapid access for day-to-day fulfilment and retrieval. Our 24-hour warehouse operation works to robust ISO 9001:2015 standards. We ensure all stock is correctly located and rotated and that audit trails are available for comprehensive tracking and reporting.

Our expertise encompasses a wide variety of activities and collateral, from the ongoing fulfilment of high value and fragile items through to handling large scale point-of-sale distributions. Scale your business to meet evolving demands with confidence and enjoy the benefits of a tailored, personal service delivered by industry specialists.

For advice on how we can support your operation, please get in touch with one of our experienced account managers.