With only a matter of time before we welcome 2019, there are many people out there who are preparing their resolutions for the new year. Promises they intend to keep, making their lives better in the future. When it comes to your warehouse, there are a few changes you could consider for the overall efficiency and wellbeing of your staff. Here, we break down how you should assess the changes in the new year.
Unachievable Expectations
According to research, approximately half of all adults make a New Year’s resolution. However, only 1 in 10 achieves their goals. You may be surprised to find that most will have given up their New Year’s resolution by 23rd January.
When looking at lifestyle changes, it is hardly surprising that changing behaviour and routine can be quite difficult. In fact, the top New Year’s resolutions for 2018 were to eat healthier, get more exercise, save more money and to focus on self-care. The main reason people don’t stick to their resolutions, however, is that they have set too many goals or vow to do something unattainable. Individuals may also fall victim to “False Hope Syndrome”.
Making Achievable Warehouse Resolutions
While the statistics are telling us that personal New Year’s resolutions are likely to fail, perhaps this won’t be the case for your warehouse? Here are our top resolutions that are easy to achieve and essential for better warehouse management.
Fulfil Automation Plans
Don’t just think of automation as a plan for the future, make it happen now! In an extremely competitive market, you should do everything you can to give yourself the competitive edge. Start off small with implementing simple enhancements to an otherwise manual warehouse. You will soon begin to see the improvements in efficiency, productivity and your customer satisfaction rates.
Improve Inventory management
As one of your most important assets, mismanaged inventories can cause significant financial issues. These include things such as a shortage or overflow of stock. While adequate training should be given as standard, you can start 2019 be refreshing the knowledge of your employees and improve your training processes.
Starting with the warehouse floor, take control of how the inventory is organised. Make sure that your staff are aware of where everything is. You could even introduce a procedure for whenever a product is moved from one location to another. Be sure to update any signage and labelling so that it remains legible.
Check the Health of your Pallet Racking
With the correct installation and maintenance, you’d assume that your warehouse will always be durable and reliable. However, there is often a range of hidden dangers in the warehouse that are overlooked. Regular inspection is legally required in the UK. It is important for you to comply and receive an examination from an external source every year.
So, start 2019 right with a thorough inspection of all your pallet racking systems and make a plan for frequent safety checks. We cannot stress the importance of doing this enough. Not only will you ensure the safety of staff and visitors within their working conditions, but you can reduce any future costs and avoid significant stock damage.
Improve General Health and Safety Procedures
25 per cent of all major injuries in the warehouse in the warehouse industry are caused by slips and trips. With this in mind, why not start the New Year with a Health and Safety review? There are many legally required conditions that you must abide by to ensure a successful management. This includes risk assessment, correct training and regular inspections. As a result, there are many processes you may wish to consider taking on board.
Go Green
Having an environmental policy is extremely important these days. If you don’t have one in place already, review what you can do within the warehouse to ensure your operations are as environmentally friendly as possible.
The way in which you deal with your packaging can have a massive impact on the way in which you operate. Check out our recent article about how you can make your packaging more sustainable.
Talk to Monarch Shelving Ltd
Starting the New Year right could come down to something as broad as implementing a new pallet racking system. With our extensive range of new and second-hand pallet racking and other storage solutions, you can make a number of positive changes to your warehouse operations. If you would like to learn more about our products, get in touch with Monarch Shelving Ltd today.