Warehouse managers are under intense and growing pressure to maximize profitability, even in the face of multiple factors outside their control like geography, changing markets, economic conditions, and global events.
But there are plenty of factors you can rein in to improve warehouse performance and your bottom line.
An efficient warehouse maximizes productivity, reduces operating costs, keeps more customers satisfied, and retains more workers longer. It won’t change your location or redirect a snowstorm, but it will support the best possible outcome under any circumstances.
It takes a holistic strategy to organize operations at your warehouse or distribution center to achieve optimal accuracy and productivity. A successful strategy prioritizes proven best practices and supports them with the right technologies and tools.
For most DCs and warehouses, it begins with the basics: barcoding, labels, and their warehouse racking layout.
When you get the fundamentals right, you achieve two important objectives:
Warehouse optimization starts with a bird’s eye view of your facilities layout.
The success of your business is literally built on your layout. Order picking times, worker step counts, safety KPIs, fulfillment accuracy, and a host of other performance metrics link directly to organization, layouts, and effective signage.
Whether you think the task is overwhelming or you’re not convinced it’s such a big deal, you can probably talk yourself out of a critical review of your warehouse footprint, but here’s what you could be missing out on:
The early phases of warehouse optimization are critical, so be intentional and thorough, considering movement of goods, people, and equipment above all. Also, keep in mind there’s more to a footprint than area. Think in three dimensions, and remember that an active warehouse environment means people and objects are always in motion. Get more information and expert recommendations here. In the meantime, keep these tips in mind:
A WMS is the digital counterpart to the physical efficiency improvements you make, connecting every item in your facility to your inventory records. A barcoding system, labels, and scanners enable your team to update every movement of every inventory item, from its arrival at receiving to its departure in a shipment. Here are a few ways—beyond improved inventory control—that a WMS adds value to a layout planning and labeling program:
All of these potential benefits can lead to more satisfied customers, a better employee experience, and cost savings that add up to a competitive advantage.
Barcode labels are the link between the physical (products and facility) and the digital (WMS). So yes, they matter immensely—and an expert can help you achieve optimal benefits while avoiding common (and costly) mistakes. Every aspect of a label, from materials and print technologies to barcoding standards and symbology, contributes to its performance and can determine whether it supports improvements or impedes your warehouse or DC’s profitability.
Start your warehouse labeling project on the right foot by following proven best practices for label placement, material selection, print technologies, scanning equipment, and more. Download your personal copy of our free guide by clicking here or below.
