How to Optimize Warehouse Efficiency with a Small Staff
Operating a warehouse and making deliveries with a small staff can be challenging. Where other companies may have separate teams of warehouse and delivery staff, a small business might need delivery drivers to do their own picking. Here are some tips to optimize your warehouse efficiency and enable drivers to make efficient deliveries while taking on additional duties. Even with a small staff, you can reduce turnaround times and keep on schedule with the right approach.
Use the Right Equipment
First, you want employees to use the right equipment to keep everything moving smoothly. Two people moving a heavy object with lifting straps is far less efficient than using an appliance hand truck that only requires a single operator. A single person can move a large appliance, like a refrigerator or washing machine, without the need for a second person to help. They can move it from the warehouse to the delivery truck, stow the appliance hand truck, and use it to deliver the product at the destination.
Organize the Warehouse
Organizing the warehouse based on what is most commonly sold or big-ticket items can help employees quickly get what they need. Bigger items or items that move more slowly can be at the back of the warehouse, while popular items can be near the loading area. From there, the warehouse can be organized by brand to make it easier for employees to find the right item. Consider a staging area for the quickest-selling items, so employees don’t have to go as far.
Reduce Travel Time in the Warehouse
Similar to the last point, the warehouse should be organized in order to reduce travel time for employees. This means organizing more popular brands closer to the loading area, reducing the time it takes to walk among aisles and finding slots in the warehouse. This also means using tools that can help increase efficiency. A powered hand truck is better able to move bigger loads across longer distances than an unpowered hand truck, saving time and energy and decreasing the time it takes to move products around.
Integrate Packing and Shipping
Another way to help reduce time is to combine areas that would be separate in bigger warehouses. Packing and shipping of items can be done in the same area instead of packing in one area and moving to another for holding until shipping. Instead, items can be packed in a single area and moved straight to a delivery truck. It can also help employees if boxes are standardized, with only a few sizes to choose from, so that employees can spend less time deciding which boxes to use, and more time getting shipments ready.
About Magline
For more than 70 years, Magliner equipment has been a material handling staple and essential. In fact, the Magliner name is now so well-known in the industry it’s very often used as a shorthand description for any hand truck. Sadly for all the other brands, only Magliner equipment provides the durability, ease-of-use, and dependability that you can rely on. Along with their legendary hand truck selection, they carry a powered stair climbing cart line, a motorized hand truck collection, a convertible hand truck selection, a hand lift truck series, and a lot more. If you need anything lifted, moved, or delivered, there is a Magliner product that will get the job done.
Optimize warehouse efficiency with dependable material handling equipment at Magliner.com
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| Appliance Hand Truck |
First, you want employees to use the right equipment to keep everything moving smoothly. Two people moving a heavy object with lifting straps is far less efficient than using an appliance hand truck that only requires a single operator. A single person can move a large appliance, like a refrigerator or washing machine, without the need for a second person to help. They can move it from the warehouse to the delivery truck, stow the appliance hand truck, and use it to deliver the product at the destination.
Organize the Warehouse
Organizing the warehouse based on what is most commonly sold or big-ticket items can help employees quickly get what they need. Bigger items or items that move more slowly can be at the back of the warehouse, while popular items can be near the loading area. From there, the warehouse can be organized by brand to make it easier for employees to find the right item. Consider a staging area for the quickest-selling items, so employees don’t have to go as far.
Reduce Travel Time in the Warehouse
Similar to the last point, the warehouse should be organized in order to reduce travel time for employees. This means organizing more popular brands closer to the loading area, reducing the time it takes to walk among aisles and finding slots in the warehouse. This also means using tools that can help increase efficiency. A powered hand truck is better able to move bigger loads across longer distances than an unpowered hand truck, saving time and energy and decreasing the time it takes to move products around.
Integrate Packing and Shipping
Another way to help reduce time is to combine areas that would be separate in bigger warehouses. Packing and shipping of items can be done in the same area instead of packing in one area and moving to another for holding until shipping. Instead, items can be packed in a single area and moved straight to a delivery truck. It can also help employees if boxes are standardized, with only a few sizes to choose from, so that employees can spend less time deciding which boxes to use, and more time getting shipments ready.
About Magline
For more than 70 years, Magliner equipment has been a material handling staple and essential. In fact, the Magliner name is now so well-known in the industry it’s very often used as a shorthand description for any hand truck. Sadly for all the other brands, only Magliner equipment provides the durability, ease-of-use, and dependability that you can rely on. Along with their legendary hand truck selection, they carry a powered stair climbing cart line, a motorized hand truck collection, a convertible hand truck selection, a hand lift truck series, and a lot more. If you need anything lifted, moved, or delivered, there is a Magliner product that will get the job done.
Optimize warehouse efficiency with dependable material handling equipment at Magliner.com
