Material Handling Tips
When was the last time you reviewed your material handling procedures? Just a few unnecessary minutes here and there can add up to a serious drain on productivity. Use our battery-powered trailer mover along with these expert tips to improve material handling efficiency in your warehouse or distribution center.
Five Top Tips to Boost Material Handling Efficiency
1. Have experienced workers handle put-aways.
If you assign new employees to put-away duties before they’ve had a chance to learn the layout or best practices, you’ll lose valuable time while they try to figure it out as they go. Let experienced workers take care of put-aways and assign new employees to order picking.
2. Establish different shifts for shipping and receiving.
When workers are constantly shifting gears between shipping and receiving processes, neither function will run as smoothly as it should. Processing shipping and receiving during separate shifts is a better use of time and warehouse space. Be sure to schedule all trucks to avoid pressure on your employees and downtime for drivers.
3. Keep floors well-maintained.
Have your employees become accustomed to dodging potholes and weaving around deteriorating floor sections? Poorly maintained warehouse floors are a double whammy. They slow down work activities and increase the risk of personal injury or damage to products.
4. Improve packing operations.
Customers will judge you by how their orders look when they arrive. Ask yourself the following questions:
-
- Are packers frequently forced to look for missing items?
- Do packers have enough room to perform their job comfortably, without bumping into equipment or each other?
- Does the packing process follow a logical flow?
5. Invite input from forklift operators.
Forklift operators know the warehouse or distribution center better than anyone. Ask your top operators what one thing they would do to improve operations and have them share their go-to tips and tricks with others.
Put a Trailer Mover in Your Truck Yard
DJ Products has a number of electric trailer movers to suit any application. Contact us at 800.686.2651 or use our handy online chat feature for cheerful assistance from our knowledgeable Sales Engineers.