Are you creating a warehouse improvement plan? Wondering what the most common warehouse setup mistakes are?
If you want to maximize warehouse efficiency and prevent downtime, it's important that you do everything you can to set your warehouse up right from the beginning. With the right tweaks to your warehouse layout, you may find that your warehouse becomes a lot more effective and efficient than it would be otherwise.
Below we'll look at the most common warehouse setup mistakes that you need to know about.
1. Crowded Shipping and Receiving Areas
One of the biggest warehouse setup mistakes is that the shipping and receiving areas are too close together or are too crowded. If the shipping and receiving areas are on the same dock or if they overlap, it can lead to a lot of issues.
It's better if both the shipping and receiving areas have their own distinct space and that neither is too small or too crowded. If you want to improve your warehouse layout and boost efficiency, this is one of the first things you should consider and take steps to improve if necessary.
2. Poorly Planned Order Picking Paths
Another big warehouse setup mistake that businesses often make is that order picking paths aren't perfected.
It's important that a warehouse layout minimizes travel times and ensures efficient order picking. A great order picking path should be planned out and it should align perfectly with your order picking method.
You should ensure that your workers will spend less time moving around the warehouse and more time picking orders. Orders should be picked in a logical way, moving from one area to another and pickers should complete their work near the main shipping area.
3. Not Made With Future Growth In Mind
Another big mistake that is made with warehouse layouts is that they aren't crafted with future growth and scalability in mind.
It's best to choose a warehouse that offers plenty of space and perhaps even a bit more than needed, to ensure that growth will be easy and effortless. A warehouse setup should be made while anticipating not only future growth but also seasonal changes and shifts in demand.
Warehouse plans should account for the specifics of expanding such as adding new inventory later on. Be sure that you consider what will happen with overstock space and what types of new storage equipment will be implemented as time goes by.
4. No Designated Area for Dead Stock
One big mistake to avoid with a warehouse layout is not having a plan for storing deadstock such as returns, product recalls, or other items that might not be sold as a typical item would. If you don't have a space set aside for storing these kinds of products, your warehouse can get cluttered and messy quickly.
If deadstock is kept around normal inventory, it could confuse workers and may actually get sent to a customer by accident. This can be problematic for your business, so it's best to separate deadstock out as well as you can in the warehouse.
5. Minimal Warehouse Signage
Another potential problem with warehouse efficiency and setup is an inadequate amount of signage and labels.
It's important that your warehouse is easy to navigate and understand with just a quick glance. In addition to using barcodes for items, you should also add plenty of labels and signs to direct workers and pickers and to clearly mark where different areas of your warehouse begin and end.
Be sure that all inventory areas are marked well and that you use signage and labels to visually help your workers see what they're dealing with in the warehouse.
6. Not Utilizing Vertical Space
Another big mistake that businesses make with warehouse design is that they don't utilize vertical space effectively.
It's important to maximize the use of storage space in a warehouse, no matter what size it is. Be sure that your warehouse setup is designed to make use of vertical space and to ensure that you're not wasting any space.
There are many different types of racking methods you can use that help you utilize this space effectively. With the right storage equipment, you'll be able to store products higher than you might expect in a warehouse, so be sure that you're using it to maximize space utilization.
7. Neglecting to Adopt New Technology
One common problem that you may have with warehouse setup is that you're not using technology in the right ways. It's important that you make use of technology in your warehouse to improve efficiency, get things done, and stay on top of tasks.
Fortunately, there's more great technology you can use in the warehouse never before. Warehouse management system software, automated guided vehicles, and platforms for inventory control can all be helpful for improving warehouse efficiency. You might also want to read more here about robotic case packers.
On the other hand, you should make sure that you use technology in a way that doesn't get in your way. Be sure that any technology you use is implemented for a reason and actually helps boost your productivity levels.
Avoiding These Common Warehouse Setup Mistakes
If you want to maximize warehouse efficiency, you need to keep an eye out for these warehouse setup mistakes. By thinking things through carefully and having a clear strategy, you'll be able to make your warehouse much more effective overall.
In search of more warehouse ideas? Start reading through our blog articles now to discover more great insights.
