Day: February 19, 2018

Tips for Improving Warehouse Efficiency

Expect the Unexpected
Expect the Unexpected

Warehouse management can often feel like a circus juggling act as you struggle to keep everything up in the air. Does your warehouse equipment help or hinder productivity in your warehouse? Here are four more tips to help you “keep your eye on the ball” and optimize warehouse efficiency.

Tips for Improving Warehouse Efficiency

1. Keep Aisles Clear of Obstructions

Leaving empty pallets or unshelved merchandise sitting in the aisles “just for a minute” can stretch into hours or even days, increasing the likelihood of accidents. Make sure employees are in the habit of keeping the aisles free of anything that doesn’t belong.

2. Optimize Warehouse Design to Meet Workflow Needs

Minimizing travel time is key to improving productivity. Design storage and layout of your warehouse to reduce the number of times a product has to be touched, eliminating need for time-wasters such as repalletizing or restacking.

3. Analyze Order Processing Cycle Time

Do you know how long it takes to process the average order in your warehouse? One distribution center was stunned to discover that less than 40 percent of their order processing cycle time was spent in actually working on the order. Analyze your current order processing steps and identify weak spots.

4. Establish a Culture of Safety

Workplace accidents have both short- and long-term effects on your overall productivity and the injured worker’s health. Enforce use of appropriate safety equipment, train employees in proper procedures and post safety tips and reminders in visible places.

DJ Products: Your #1 Choice for Safe and Efficient Warehouse Equipment

DJ Products offers a comprehensive line of battery-powered tugs, movers and pushers to accommodate the needs of any application. Visit our website and use the convenient online chat feature to learn more.

Amazon Becomes a Competitor to Nearly All Businesses in the New E-commerce Supply Chain

Amazon is Moving Into More Verticals Impacting Sales
Amazon is Moving Into More Verticals Impacting Sales

There’s a good chance your business relies on Amazon services one way or another. It’s even more likely that you view Amazon Fulfillment as a competitor. One recent survey showed that 92% of distributors are feeling pressure from the online behemoth.

As the supply chain faces increasing pressure these days, how is your warehouse keeping up? Whether it’s picking merchandise faster with fancy robots or moving trailers around the yard more efficiently with a semi truck tow dolly, everyone needs to find an edge.

Top-of-mind concerns for distributors in 2018, according to Supply Chain Dive, include:

– Emerging technology

– Online sales

– Outsourced warehousing

– Regulatory effects on pricing

Constant change is the new norm. Amazon’s acquisitions frequently remake the landscape. Distributors find themselves partnering with Amazon Fulfillment even as the company feels like a competitive pressure. It’s becoming more likely that your warehouse serves as a commerce distribution center rather than a transport service for shipping goods to brick-and-mortar stores.

So, what does all this mean? The supply chain industry must operate as efficiently as possible while embracing new technology and equipment to stay lean.

Ship Faster with a Better Terminal Tractor

Speedy warehouses are only effective when the products can get on the road faster. Are you paying licensed shunt truck drivers to move trailers in and around the docks?

A highly maneuverable semi truck tow dolly like our TrailerCaddy Electric Yard Dog makes quick work of moving trailers. It’s safer, faster, less expensive to buy, and less expensive to operate.

Find out what the TrailerCaddy semi truck tow dolly can do to streamline your warehouse distribution and help your business operate as efficiently as the online giants. Contact DJ Products for a free demo or more info.

How to Become a More Efficient Logistics and Terminal Manager

How to Become More Efficient at Your Job
How to Become More Efficient at Your Logistics and Warehouse Management Job

As a logistics and terminal manager, semi trailer moving is just one of your many responsibilities. How do you keep operations moving smoothly and effectively in the face of business growth? Here are valuable tips for improving productivity while reducing expenses.

1. Plan Ahead

The tried-and-true 5 P’s – “Proper planning prevents poor performance” – are still words to live by. In addition to optimizing available time, resources and manpower, planning makes you better equipped to handle any unforeseen circumstances that arise.

2. Embrace Automation

Information is a crucial management tool, and technology provides more extensive and accurate data than what has ever been available before. Automation saves time and eliminates the mistakes that occur during manual data collection.

3. Make Customer Service a Priority

“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link” has become a cliche because it’s true. Implement regular training classes and workshops that encourage all employees to work at their highest level.

4. Use Appropriate Warehouse Management Methods

Excellent warehouse management involves maximizing utilization of space and manpower in relation to the type of goods. Set specific procedures and goals so that employees understand the importance of their roles in smooth workplace operations.

5. Streamline Transportation

Transportation is one of the largest expenses in logistics and supply chain. Review and upgrade routing, packaging and other factors that affect delivery.

6. Analyze Metrics

The most detailed data in the world is useless on its own. Analyze data to find out what works and what doesn’t, and make appropriate changes.

The Electric Yard Dog from DJ Products

Our popular TrailerCaddy terminal tractor lets employees perform semi trailer moving up to 100,000 pounds safely and efficiently. Visit our website for real-time assistance from our helpful sales engineers.