Is it possible for a warehouse to be run like a military unit? Would this increase productivity? The owners of these objects often take them for granted, considering that the only two factors that need attention are punctuality and customer happiness. But there’s way more to this, as a reorganization may bring on an increase of productivity, those in command weren’t even aware of.
So, with this brand new potential now revealed to you, start investing into new equipment such as lifts, doors and pickers. More importantly, this day and age, what you truly need perhaps, is a modern computer system, that will make lives of your employees plenty easier and may, in addition, cut those costs you’d spend on extra personnel recruitment. Remember, everybody speaks technology fluently these days.
But giving your employees the tools is never enough. You need to nurture them, in order to bring their performance to the absolute maximum. Communicating with them and making regular visits will help them put a face on an otherwise faceless corporation/company. This not only works wonders for the morale, but, in addition, gives you the insight into what the warehouse part of your business truly is about. Think about introducing incentive pay, as this is known to do wonders in terms of motivation.
On that note, you might want to educate your leadership. First of all, do not bring on your “lieutenants” based solely on education. Granted, the education is not only a luxury, but a necessity. However, perhaps even more important is the experience. Motivate your workers to upgrade their professional lives, both position and income-wise. Create cheaper or, if you’re feeling really bold, free educational programs for climbing the ladder. While this may not prove for an instant rise in income, it will pay off in the long run, guaranteed.
Now with this in mind, think about increasing the management presence in your storage area. In addition to giving you a better insight into what’s happening down below, where workers rule, this will show them that you care about their jobs and give meaning to their work – a tremendous motivator, this. What increasing the management presence also does is serve as a warning to those idle slackers and show that you mean business in your business.
Now check that warehouse layout. Get involved with the planning, because you’re the one that is supposed to see the biggest of pictures. Workers will seldom show initiative for doing some extra work in order to achieve a more organized space. This is where the mentioned incentive pay can do wonders. Offer them bonus wages in terms of overtime, a well-known motivator in this busy world of underpayment. Expand the warehouse area, as this not only allows more room for item storing, but it makes the space arrangement that much easier. Quality container shelters, for example, offers various choices and options in terms of this expansion, like CASA (wide), CATA (tall), CALS (extra wide) and CALT (extra tall).
As you’re probably aware, averages don’t mean squat. Monthly income varies in terms of changes in seasons, demand fluctuations and other numerous, yet equally damaging factors. So rather than looking at averages, look at variations and pinpoint the exact reasons that causes them. This will make the whole process stable and enable you and the management to predict the profit more easily.
The warehouse workers often get frustrated when they need to spend a lot of time finding things. This is not a consequence of their needs to be more productive, but rather a thing of having easy tasks that take a ton of time to tackle. So make organizational arrangements, analyze the entire lifting process and assess what needs to be done in order to familiarize the employees with the area they work at. This will not only increase the productivity, but keep them satisfied as they’ll grow fond of their workplace by getting to know it and understand it.
So time for some discipline! Get things in order by spending time introducing yourself to every layer of your company, even if it means spending time at the warehouse. But don’t neglect the needs of your employees. Empathize with them by making frequent visits and provide a strong foundation for your business, for the warehouses truly are the quality work boots of the giant that your company essentially is.
