It’s go time – holiday shopping season has finally arrived. Hopefully you’re all set and have the systems and processes in place to handle the increase in sales. If not, it’s too late to start thinking about a whole new warehouse management system this year. But if you’re in a pinch, there are still things you can do to help your warehouse cope better.
That’s the topic we looked to cover in a recent article with Total Retail, focusing on tuning up your inventory and labor management procedures. Some helpful hints for carrying out peak season warehouse management include:
- Complete as thorough of an inventory audit as possible, and make sure your bulk and overflow areas are ready for additional stock.
- Use holiday help strategically, ensuring that you don’t assign a temporary employee to a more complicated role, but also recognizing employees who excel and allowing them to handle more complex tasks.
- Review your warehouse management practices – no matter if you use paper, RF scanners or a tablet-based system – with your employees to confirm everyone is on the same page. You’ll have little room for error once the orders come in.
If you want to be better prepared for next year’s rush, don’t wait until the end of peak season to start thinking about improvements for 2018. Whenever you discover a “pain point”, make a note of it – and with such high volumes of inventory moving through your warehouse, any flaws in your processes should be visible. Then, look at how a best-of-breed warehouse management system can alleviate those burdens and help you achieve maximum efficiency.
For more of our last-minute peak season tips, read the article: “Peak Season Panic? Getting Your Warehouse Ready in a Pinch.”
