Most warehouses, docks, and distribution centers are in the midst of their busiest time of the year right now.
How successfully they deal with the challenges of the holiday rush often depends on how organized, clean, and efficient their operations are throughout the rest of the year.
Neatness Counts
During the holidays, most operations are stuffed to the ceiling with inventory. Regardless of whether you are handling food and beverage, Christmas toys, chemical products, or industrial equipment, storage is likely to be filled to be capacity this time of year.
When your workspaces are more crowded than usual, it’s critical that you follow best practices in terms of keeping your operation neat, clean, and efficient. Keep aisles clear of debris like empty boxes or trash from packing materials.
Keeping floor space clear will give your employees more room to work and possibly even give you more valuable storage space. At this time of year, every square foot counts.
Organize and Label Your Storage Space
During the holidays, many businesses will expand their staff or onboard temporary employees to help deal with the rush. Because these workers haven’t worked in your business before, they probably aren’t going to be familiar with where everything goes.
Delays in storing and retrieving items due to ignorance and confusion on the part of new employees can be overcome by carefully organizing and labeling shelves, racking, and other storage spaces before the busy season begins.
But if you haven’t already organized your storage space already, doing it now may be challenging. But at least you can get some benefit from it, at least in the short run.
Streamlining Operations
Your operation will be more efficient if it runs like a well-oiled machine. In order for this to happen, all the moving parts must work together. And there needs to be adequate and capable supervision to spot and correct problems before they occur.
Make it your goal to move items only once, rather than handling the same item multiple times. Fewer trips increase efficiency and help keep the operation running smoother and faster.
Recognize Great Work
This time a year when demand and high there can be a tendency to skip niceties and be more direct with line level employees. But they are probably as stressed out as you are when your operation is in full swing.
Take the time to recognize and reward workers who are doing a great job. Make an effort to show your appreciation to all of your employees, even temporary and seasonal workers. And don’t forget to say “thank you”.