The Most Common Warehouse Organization Mistakes

Organization is the key to success in any warehouse. When inventory and processes are well organized, the entire facility operates at a higher level of efficiency and productivity.

But that’s not the only benefit. Warehouse organization also allows you to identify common logistics problems and address them before they become detrimental to the warehouse or your customer.

Additionally, your facility will be a safer place to work, which has a positive impact on the morale of workers.

What Are the Most Common Problems of an Unorganized Warehouse?

On the flip side, many common logistics problems arise whenever a warehouse isn’t well organized, such as:

  • Overstocking of inventory
  • Inefficient product labeling
  • Poor warehouse layout
  • Substandard housekeeping
  • Lack of employee training
  • Poor safety management
  • Failing to automate
  • Failure to measure performance
  • Imbalanced priorities

How Can You Be a Warehouse Problem-Solver?

Warehouse problem-solving is something to master in order to initiate positive change in the warehouse. These tips will help you improve warehouse problem-solving.

Optimize the warehouse layout — When planning the warehouse layout, consider the types of products or materials you stock and their velocity. Place high-volume items closest to the packing and shipping zone, and make sure the aisles are wide enough, well lit and properly labeled.

Commit to training — Warehouse employees need to be trained to perform their best. Always ensure your workers receive the training they need. They’ll perform better, and you’ll see less employee turnover.

Keep the warehouse clean — A messy warehouse is not only unsafe, it can also breed apathy and dampen enthusiasm in workers. Make a concentrated effort to ensure the warehouse is always clean and everything is stored in the proper place.

Focus on safety — Accidents happen more frequently in a disorganized warehouse, and they can be expensive and impact employee morale. Make sure your warehouse has proper safety measures in place, and invest in safety training and equipment.

Measure performance — It’s nearly impossible to know how a warehouse needs to improve without measuring performance. Determine which factors are of the greatest importance to you and then measure them against your KPIs. This way, you will always know when and where things are working and when they need to be improved.

Automate processes — Human error is a common problem in logistics, but adopting automated processes can reduce mistakes. Invest in modern data collection and labeling systems—you’ll notice fewer mistakes.

Label properly — Using the latest labeling techniques and high-quality labels and tags will accelerate picking and put-away processes, as well as reduce picking mistakes.

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Why Organized Warehouses Are More Efficient

An organized warehouse is guaranteed to have better overall performance, productivity and KPIs  because every facet of a business is improved by a good organizational strategy.

Efficiency is greatly improved because fewer mistakes happen in an organized warehouse. Processing and shipping is quicker and more accurate, and workers are happier, better trained and more productive.

In the end, there is no downside to being well organized. If your warehouse performance needs improvement, then addressing these common logistics problems is an excellent place to start.

Learn more about high-quality warehouse spaces from Prologis.