There are very few businesses that do not have their shipping department running around like headless chickens before the courier is about to show up. This can be due to one (or more) of many reasons – sometimes it can be that there has been a hold up with production on the shop floor.Quite frequently, though, it can be due to a manager or customer changing their mind aboutthe shipping date at the last minute.
However, there are ways in which you can help alleviate the amount of stress that these last-minute issues or panic about getting stock from the shop floor can cause.
#1 Have an organized packing workstation
Your packing workstations must be equipped with everything needed to get shipments packed and ready for dispatch. This includes the boxes that will be used, which can be flat-packed and stored either at the side of the station or on shelves above.
Bubble wrap or paper roll can be stored on a roll above the desk and therefore pulled down to be used when required. Tape dispensers, label printers, and scissors can be kept on shelves or in drawers, and there should be room for a computer and a printer nearby for the printing of packing slips.
#2 Bring shipping items to them
Another big addition to this is the installation of new conveyor belts, which can bring the products straight from the shop floor ready for shipping. This will mean there are no more missing important shipments that have been left on a rack outside the warehouse or, for that matter, being told that they are there at incredibly short notice. Of course, this will run much smoother if you have a conveyor moving items toward the warehouse for storage and then a separate one going straight toward dispatch.
#3 Isolate the shipping area from the rest of the warehouse
Isolating your dispatch area from your goods-indepartment and your storage area is a must. Although some of the items that will be required to ship will come from your stores, you will find that a lot of them will come straight from the shop floor. This is because if you are keeping a lot in your storage facility, you will have a lot of money tied up. These items could very well have a shelf life that is slowly ebbing away.
You and your warehouse teams need to be aware of expiry dates; these dates are not just about food but also electronics, among other items. It is all about the deterioration or corrosion of parts when they are open to the elements. Ensuring that your store teams are rotating their stock items, so the oldest is always the first out of the door is a good move.
Final thoughts
To help your warehouse teams and eliminate the risk of obtaining customer penalties for late shipments, your warehouse needs to be well organized. Making sure that employees do not get under each other’s feet and that they all have the correct tools to carry out their job rolesclose to hand is a no-brainer. Where possible,work should be brought to them rather than have them go looking for the items they need to fulfill their shipments.
