Warehouse procedure manual

Having a software that automatically calculates your warehouse storage utilization and tracks the right storage KPIs will allow you to determine how efficient each aspect of your storage process is. Slotting optimization systems can also help you by assisting with the allocation of the best storage location for a given cargo.

Lastly, utilizing the right warehouse storage system according to the size of your facility and product mix allows you to maximize your horizontal and vertical spaces while improving warehouse efficiency. To learn more about warehouse storage best practices, you can read our article here. Picking is the warehouse process that collects products in a warehouse to fulfill customer orders. Streamlining of this process should also focus on achieving higher accuracy, as errors can have a direct impact on your customer satisfaction.

One of the ways to optimize the picking process is introducing the right technologies. Technologies such as mobile and wearables can streamline the picking process because they allow clerks to view picking lists wirelessly, access systems in real time, and scan anywhere in the warehouse. Other viable options include conducting an ABC analysis to improve your warehouse layout, selecting the right picking methodology, and utilizing software to guide clerks in properly executing the picking process.

To learn more warehouse picking best practices, you can read our article here. Also, here is a short video to learn how mobile and wearables can impact your picking process:. Packing is the warehouse process that consolidates picked items in a sales order and prepares them for shipment to the customer. One of the primary tasks of packing is to ensure that damages are minimized from the time items leave the warehouse.

Additionally, packaging must be light enough so as not to increase the weight of the goods and minimal enough to control packaging costs. Optimizing the packing process can be done by utilizing software to guide people in executing the tasks. Provided that a packing system has all the necessary data, such as dimensions and weight, the system can automatically determine the type and amount of packaging material that will keep the item safe and packing costs low.

To learn more warehouse packing best practices, read this article here. Shipping is the final warehouse process and the start of the journey of goods from the warehouse to the customer.

Shipping is considered successful only if the right order is sorted and loaded, is dispatched to the right customer, travels through the right transit mode, and is delivered safely and on time. Previous processes, such as ordering, putaway, picking, and packing, are also vital to the success of shipping because they greatly affect whether the order is fulfilled accurately and safely.

To optimize the shipping process, having software systems to streamline many of the tasks is critical. Labor management systems let you allocate the right amount of resources to prevent over or under allocation.

Having a shipping mobile application and device lets you have the right information on hand and in real time to verify shipments on the fly.

And loading systems can let you have guides that clearly instruct how to load cargo safely and efficiently. To learn more warehouse shipping best practices, you can read our article here. Written by SOP Team. Leave a Reply. Content Title Description. Subscribe To Get Inspiration. Search form. Venkadesh Narayanan - Mar 17, Venkadesh Narayanan - Mar 18, Bharath Ravi - Jun 3, SOP Team Mar 15, SOP Team Mar 13, Related Post. Join Our NewsLetter.

However, in some cases the primary purpose of a warehouse is to reduce logistics costs. The objective of the warehouse will influence each operating procedure. In what order are the jobs performed? While receiving precedes shipping, job sequence is not always obvious.

For example, if some of the goods being received are damaged, steps for handling the damaged merchandise must be included. The best way to understand and communicate sequence is through the development of a flowchart, in which the work to be performed is illustrated. One picture is worth a thousand words. The same can be said for operations manuals. If pallet management is critical, an illustration of the ideal pallet can be helpful. Flowcharts can be used to help clarify sequence and highlight the points at which decisions are necessary.

Pictures of materials handling equipment can be helpful, as can drawings of ideal storage layouts and illustrations of layout errors. If the building you operate is relatively inexpensive, space utilization may be a lower priority than labor and equipment.

Should labor be scarce and costly, materials-handling methods will be a higher priority. Measurement is critical. What needs to be measured, and why? Emphasize why each measurement is necessary, as well as how to measure. Remember that most managers thirst for useful information, even while they are drowning in irrelevant data. Consider which performance indicators are critical for your operation. As you develop the manual, consider all of the questions that are asked by people working in your warehouse.

Here are a few examples:. First, those who prepare the manual have spent insufficient time testing their ideas with the people who do the work. Because they are unfamiliar with operations, the procedures they write fail to describe the way in which the work actually is done. Second, procedures are written in language that is not readily understood by those who use the manual.

Many of us have struggled to understand instruction manuals for electronic gear, written by individuals whose first language is other than that used in the writing. The words are there, but they are confusing. The manual should be tested as it is written. Ask workers to read each procedure and let you know whether it is clear to them. Finally, begin the process with the end result in mind. The goal of a good procedure is to identify and standardize the best practice.

An effective manual should become a useful training tool and a readily understood guide for everyone.