Questions to Ask Before Choosing an Outsourced Fulfilment Partner
Choosing the right outsourced fulfilment partner to take control of all your fulfilment needs is important and can’t go ignored.
Running a structured warehouse can be much more complicated than it’s given credit for. Qualities of an efficient warehouse lie in the organisation of your processes. While it seems that a warehouse simply stores products before its distribution, an expert warehouse management system is much more advanced.
Warehouses operate with technical methods to organise and export materials, making them easily obtainable when they are ready to ship. Plus, you have multiple team members at various levels that need coordination and seasonal variances to contend with. Here at Bray Solutions, we have several key factors that make up the qualities of an efficient warehouse:
QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES
Having warehouse staff who have the proper training under their belt will not only improve health and safety procedures but will also increase productivity and create a smoother, streamlined management process. Our staff complete regular refreshers and our management team oversee these processes, as well as taking on additional training. By taking on further training, we can offer services such as Dangerous Goods shipping.
Ensure your employees are fully trainedto operate day to day warehouse tasks and your warehouse will soon run efficiently. It’s a simple task to stack shelves or make sure things are in order, but when safety precautions come to light, every team member must be educated on the matter. Correcting any mistakes as soon as they occur helps to keep the warehouse operating smoothly.
UP TO DATE SOFTWARE
One of the major qualities of an efficient warehouse is the standard of software used to control operations. There are a number to choose from, and it all depends on your warehouse management. You can use a software program to manage inventory control, keep track of warehouse maintenance, shipping, tracking and more. Ensure you take the time to choose which is best suited to you and your business requirements. It is all well and good having state of the art, but if it doesn’t suit your specific needs the novelty will soon wear off.
Bray uses Khaos Control as it integrates well with all our systems and our client’s systems. We keep our WMS up to date as possible to ensure we are more protected against cyber attacks.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
With the introduction of heavy machinery and equipment, a warehouse can bring many health and safety hazards. This alongside untrained staff and the possibility of blocked pathways, accidents are bound to happen when there is not a correct plan of action in place. We can not stress and reiterate the importance of training enough. Ensure your staff are tested on their knowledge frequently to prevent mistakes.
WITH SAFETY, COMES SECURITY
Depending on your clientele, you could hold responsibility for some extremely expensive products, and criminals can sense it a mile off. An efficient warehouse will invest in 24-7 security to minimise the risk of theft. Installing CCTV is another step to take to decrease the chances. Products are what keep your business going – keep them as safe as your staff.
CLEVER STORAGE AND DESIGN
Warehouse storage keeps your company alive and kicking. If you don’t have enough of it, you can not offer space to more clients, which results in a loss of income. It is essential that you manage your warehouse promptly, and keep track of your storage.
If you focus on storing large items you will need to pay attention to your racking system in order to handle heavier items. If you stock perishables, especially cold food, you will require a refrigeration system to keep products fresh. With each type of products, you need to consider their specific needs.
PREPARE FOR PROTOCOLS
Emergencies can happen in any circumstance, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have preparations in place in case. You have to take all possible accidents including fire, machinery incidents and even the risk of flooding into consideration. It is important to have processes that will keep you safe.
PICKING AND PACKING
Picking and packing orders don’t have to take up a lot of your time when done efficiently. Developing a pick checklist will save you valuable amounts of time. Find out more in our previous blog on picking and packing.
Our complete end-to-end 3PL fulfilment solution is everything your business needs to ensure customer satisfaction. Find out more about our services.
We integrate with a number of different systems.
Get in touch to find out how we can help.