5 Common Warehouse Mistakes

The smallest of warehouse mistakes can affect the management of inventory.

Managing inventory is an important part of running a business. The buying and selling of products are key to succeed and make a profit. Here at Bray Solutions, we have outlined five common warehouse mistakes and ways to avoid them:

Holding on to paper processes

Technology is adapting, and businesses need to keep up to remain trustworthy to customers. Paperless processes are the way forward, not only because it increases security but also saves money on paper and printing resources. You may believe that small businesses can work well without a technological process in place, that simply isn’t the case! Holding on to paperwork has an opposite effect. The liability of paper can slow down everyday tasks, leaving you with the risk of delays and unreliable services due to lost documents or possessing too many. We recommend digitally storing your documents and private information. You don’t necessarily need a fancy expensive software; there are so many affordable systems that will do the job. Not only will you save yourself time and money, but you will also save the environment too!

Overstock

Holding on to old stock or too much of a product is one of the most common warehouse mistakes made. Sometimes offers and amazing discounts are too good to be true. Retailers often make the mistake of buying large quantities of products included in bulk discounted deals. These are usually products that run the risk of not selling, leaving a warehouse with a mass of stock no one wants or has space for. Reduce the warehouse mistake of overstocking by questioning if your business needs to take up that ‘too good to be true’ bulk discount. If you reduce your inventory and avoid these unbelievable discounts, your supply chain will minimise resulting in less cash tied up in unwanted stock and a much stronger cash flow.

Lazy Health and Safety

Health and safety procedures are surprisingly often disregarded. Even the most organised of warehouses aren’t completely safe. And don’t believe that just because an accident is yet to happen, it can’t or won’t happen. It is much too big a risk to take. Warehouses are not the safest of environments and accidents or even near misses need investigating. These investigations can mean your operation could ultimately stop until everything resolves. And let’s not talk about the possible fines if they find you at fault. Simply make sure to keep staff alert and aware of any potential risks.

Messy Workspace

As a warehouse management business, you’re busy, and housekeeping is at the bottom of the list of things you have to do. But as we mentioned above, an untidy warehouse is a cause for concern. You might not think a few old pallets lying around counts as a safety hazard, but a lack of housekeeping isn’t just a risk to safety, it also results in a lack of efficiency. Obstructions such as misplaced equipment can prevent staff getting the job done quickly and efficiently. This is an easy mistake to fix. Simply administer asset ‘check in’ produce and cleaning regime, including time set aside for housekeeping at the end of the day. That way, each day your team can start the day fresh in a clean, tidy work space with everything in its place.

No motivation

Staff training can often get pushed aside from the list of warehouse priorities when budgets and busy schedules are in the way. However, considering a warehouse is such a high-risk environment, it’s crucial that employees receive the training they need and receive appreciation from their employer. It costs less to keep existing employees motivated and happy than it does to hire and train new employees. With time put aside for employee training and improvement, staff will feel more motivated to work hard, resulting in a stable, committed workforce.