Think about what happens if a warehouse lacks organization. Employees run around frantically searching for items, and nothing happens on time. Managing a warehouse isn’t just about storing as much as possible. It is also essential to establish a sense of structure and order, which will result in a more efficiently run warehouse.

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To help you organize your warehouse, we will describe the benefits of an organized warehouse and some organization ideas to increase efficiency.

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    Benefits of Warehouse Organization

    Saves Time

    The primary reason to invest in organizing your warehouse is to save valuable time and effort. Organizing items in their proper locations allows employees to locate items faster and more efficiently.

    Increases Productivity

    The efficient planning and organization of warehouse processes have resulted in a direct increase in productivity. A logical and consistent approach towards the processes makes it easier and quicker for your employees to fulfill orders.

    Reduces Theft

    An unorganized warehouse is considered a breeding ground for theft, as it’s easier to mask these activities. According to a warehouse theft statistic by Loss Preventive Magazine, at least $15 to $30 billion is lost to theft every year. Better organization and the implementation of security checks can help reduce these numbers considerably.

    Warehouse Organization - Reduces Theft

    Safety

    One wrong move in a warehouse can potentially lead to the loss of both invaluable lives and valuable property. Neglecting warehouse safety and health management can increase the risk manifold. Ensuring the warehouse is well-organized, with everything in its assigned place, can help prevent common workplace injuries.

    Improves Order Accuracy

    Organized and well-managed stock with proper labeling helps staff identify and find items conveniently. This assists the employees in achieving a higher level of accuracy in their orders.

    Improved Service

    Organizing your warehouse can improve customer service. By having standardized inventory management processes, you can achieve higher productivity levels and reduce errors, which helps ensure prompt order fulfillment.

    Workplace Organization is a State of Mind

    Being organized isn’t just about the physical aspect of the warehouse. It is a mindset that involves continuous work and thought. Creating a culture that promotes keeping the work space clean and organized is just as important as organizing the items regularly. This state of mind helps employees exert order in their own work lives and get things done pragmatically and efficiently.

    Warehouse Efficiency Ebook

    Warehouse Organization Ideas to Increase Efficiency

    1. Organize Inventory Using ABC Analysis

    Storing fast-moving products near the shipping area can make your putaway and picking process more efficient. Using the ABC Analysis to organize your warehouse inventory requires you to sort them into three categories:

    • A-Items: The most profitable or best-selling items account for 80% of the total movement or 20% of the entire stock.
    • B-Items: Mid-range items that sell frequently and usually account for 15% of the total movement or 30% of the entire stock.
    • C-Items: Slow-moving items for the remaining 5% of the total movement, or 50% of the entire stock.

    2. Stock at the Right Height

    Items that are popular should be placed at a waist-to-shoulder height to make the picking process more efficient. This also ensures that pickers don’t require additional equipment, such as forklift trucks, step ladders, etc.

    3. Execute Labeling Effectively

    Labeling everything can help maintain the warehouse workflow much more efficiently. It also helps reduce location confusion and the risk of errors when employees don’t have to rely on memory when searching for items. Every SKU should be marked clearly and consistently during the receiving process for easy identification.

    4. Color Code Areas

    A warehouse can benefit from color-coding areas based on product type, which helps pickers locate the general vicinity of the products more quickly. For example, blue racks are for the most profitable items, yellow racks are for mid-range items, and orange racks are for slow-moving items.

    5. Optimize the Warehouse Processes Efficiently

    Optimizing the various steps in your warehouse processes can directly impact productivity. Obtaining real-time information, automating processes, and ensuring quality control are ways to streamline the processes.

    To learn how to optimize the different warehouse processes more, click here.

    6. Reassess Your Floor Plan

    Reassessing your floor plan in a logical way, such as rearranging tools and equipment within staff’s reach, can increase productivity. According to the Motion Study by F.W. Taylor, eliminating unnecessary and unproductive movements in the workspace is essential.

    7. Go Paperless

    Maintaining documents as electronic files can make organizing documents easy and quick. While the process of going paperless may seem exhausting when starting out, it makes backing up information more convenient and less expensive.

    Warehouse Organization - Paperless

    8. Utilize the Vertical Area

    When looking for warehouse racking systems to organize your cargo, consider not only horizontal spaces but also vertical spaces. Investing in the right warehouse racking system can help organize inventory to utilize unused spaces.

    9. Managing Wires

    Managing wires with cable protectors, cord clips, covers, and ramps can help keep your warehouse clean and organized. Cable identification tags and ties can also help identify which cord can be unplugged.

    10. Clean Your Warehouse Regularly

    Cleaning the warehouse routinely gives a strong sense of organization, leading to higher job satisfaction among employees. To learn more about this topic, click here.

    Furthermore, here is a cleaning checklist to help you ensure that no area is missed while cleaning. Click the banner to download the checklist.

    Summary

    Organizing a warehouse allows you to establish a sense of structure and order, resulting in a more efficient warehouse. We hope that the benefits and techniques in this blog have persuaded you to organize your warehouse better and strive for a more efficient workspace.

    If you are ready to find the solution to organize your warehouse or increase efficiency, go to our Solutions Finder tool.

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