Preparing your warehouse for the run up to Christmas

The run up to Christmas is the busiest time of the year for warehouse staff and arguably the most stressful. The peak in trade means that businesses are under pressure to deliver goods to meet increased demand and achieve festive targets. Now is the perfect time to ensure that your warehouse is organised. Your system should be both practical and efficient which translates to simple to understand and easy to use.

Keeping an up-to-date record of your inventory is an important basic to adhere to.  Make sure that you record every product that you have in stock along with the quantity. Divide products into categories depending on their size, weight or even popularity. If you have too much of one product, why not consider putting it on sale to make room for new stock?

Warehouse management

Even the most experienced warehouse staff can make mistakes during the picking process so it is important that you use labels and barcodes to keep track of your stock. Linking your barcodes up to your warehouse management system will ensure that quantities available are automatically updated, so you are aware of low stock levels. Setting up automatic re-ordering may also be possible. Barcodes provide quick and accurate data processing making your handling, picking and distribution systems more efficient. Labelling products is also a good idea, especially if you have new temporary staff working over the Christmas period. For best practice ensure your labels coincide with aisles and shelf numbers, to make products easier to find.

Pallet Racking

Whether you are a large or small business you will benefit from some form of pallet racking. Pallet racking is an efficient and safe way of stacking your stock, preventing it from unnecessary damage. Whilst it is a fantastic way of storing your products, it is essential that you carry out regular inspection to ensure that your racks remain intact and that any damage is recorded and repaired immediately. The more organised your warehouse is, the more products you can store and potentially sell.

Larger warehouses may also benefit from installing a conveyor system. First decide what needs to be achieved, enabling you to determine whether you require a simple conveyor layout or a more extensive design that covers the whole of your warehouse. Conveyor systems are compact and improve the use of space, enabling you to achieve smoother and efficient transportation of stock.

Although the run up to Christmas is a busy, hectic period it is important that you ensure that your staff are complying with safety guidelines and regulations. The cleaner and more organised your warehouse is, the happier and safer your staff will be, raising both morale and productivity.