Warehouse Efficiency Tips Archives

Warehouse Dock Maintenance Tips

Do your operations grind to a halt whenever a dock suddenly needs critical maintenance? Many dock problems can be prevented with more proactive care, cutting down greatly on the overall costs of your warehousing and logistics facilities, says Modern Materials Handling.

Gary Forger reports that insufficient maintenance accounts for up to 85% of all dock equipment problems. Planned maintenance can prevent much of that while also reducing the frequency of emergency repairs.

Options for Planned Dock Maintenance

Warehousing and logistics managers have multiple options for better planned maintenance:

• Add or appoint an in-house employee

• Partner with dock equipment suppliers to advise in-house staff

• Outsource to a structured dock maintenance program

Tips for Warehouse Dock Maintenance

The first step is to determine how often various components need recommended inspections and maintenance. Some parts need annual care, others should be maintained every 90 days.

In addition to checking for broken or worn-out parts, workers should test for energy leaks that may be costing a fortune.

Keep hydraulics working efficiently with proper fluid levels and lubricate moving parts regularly to prevent small wear-and-tear from becoming major damage or causing a shutdown.

Finally, consider how dock maintenance can improve worker safety. Dock-related injuries are common, resulting in good workers missing days and leading to claims.

On that note, DJ Products has industrial cart movers for the warehousing and logistics industry that can significantly improve your bottom line—through reduced injury risk as well as better productivity. We also have a line of trailer movers for improved safety around dock doors.

Contact DJ Products for more info about material handling solutions for warehousing and logistics.

Warehousing for eCommerce – Capturing a Piece of the Profit Pie

As ecommerce has changed the face of the traditional retailing model, so too has it triggered new methods in warehousing and logistics. Has your company incorporated these best practices for ecommerce warehousing?

7 Methods to Improve Ecommerce Warehousing Efficiency

>Use a cluster-picking strategy with multiple order containers in a single cart. Pick rates will go up while order pickers have to make fewer trips throughout the warehouse.

>Timely and accurate communication between retail and warehouse locations is imperative. Integrated systems such as distributed order management (DOM) help ensure smooth processing of all sizes of orders from any point of origin.

>The natural progression from a multi-channel model is omni-channel, which focuses on enhancing the customer experience by providing consistent service across all purchasing options. Designing facilities that consolidate these operations results in better cost-effectiveness.

>Use level-loading throughout the year to avoid the seasonal disparities of order processing.

>Don’t discount the value of warehouse management systems (WMS) as a solution to ecommerce challenges. Many WMS vendors are including more automation in their systems to meet the demands of higher volumes of smaller orders.

>Warehouse seasonality doesn’t always correspond with holiday seasonality. Make sure you understand the specific seasonality of your business so you can plan for the highs and lows.

>Consider using pop-up fulfillment centers to better accommodate order flow.

Warehousing and Logistics Material Handling Solutions from DJ Products

Maximize your workforce with our best-selling CartCaddyShorty or any of our other battery-powered tugs, pushers and movers. Visit our website and use the handy chat feature to let our of our sales engineers help you find the best solution for your application.

Can You Effectively Manage Winter Weather Delays in Your Warehouse?

Snow and Ice Can Impact Logistics.

It’s said that time is money, and nowhere is that more true than in a warehouse. Now that winter is here, do you have contingency plans to minimize inbound and outbound shipping delays caused by bad weather?

How Do Winter Weather Delays Impact Your Bottom Line?

Cold temperatures, snow and ice affect all modes of transportation, including trucks, planes and trains. Here are just a few of the ways weather delays can disrupt your operations.

• Generous lead times mean lower shipping costs, but unpredictable weather seriously hampers the ability to provide good lead times.

• As shipments back up, higher volume creates higher demand, which in turn causes higher rates due to routing guide substitutions.

• Late inbound shipments of supplies result in production slowdowns and missed deadlines.

• Accessorials, such as greater fuel consumption and more pick-ups and drop-offs, also drive rates up.

Dealing with Winter Weather Setbacks

• This is no time to pinch pennies. Choose shippers that provide a high level of service to gain an advantage over your competitors.

• Look for consolidation opportunities that you may not have considered previously.

• Examine any links between inbound and outbound transportation strategies that may have some overlap.

• Make sure your budget has built-in wiggle room to allow for weather emergencies.

• The best answers may come from the most unlikely sources. Brainstorm with members of marketing, sales, IT, finance and other company departments for creative solutions.

Industrial Tugs from DJ Products Stand Up to Any Type of Weather

Our battery-powered industrial tugs can easily maneuver carts and heavy equipment across snow, ice and other difficult surfaces. Visit our website for more information.

Warehouse Safety Tips Include a Focus on Education and Ergonomics

Proper Ergonomics can Keep Your Employees Safe, Healthy and Happy

Warehouse management needs safe, repeatable processes in order to reduce injury risks. It’s not enough to rely on brute strength and lumbar belts! This is why warehouses implement proactive changes — from stepping up training protocol to bringing in automated equipment like our industrial tugs.

Educating Workers About Warehouse Safety

Train and frequently remind your workers about the most common warehouse injuries. Key issues for your team to discuss:

• Slips and falls: Messy warehouses cause falls, often when workers carry items and cannot see the ground below.

• Forklift and equipment injuries: Even after training and certificates are obtained for operating heavy machinery, each worker should review instructions periodically.

• Unreported dangers: Workers should have an avenue for reporting hazards like chemical fumes and faulty equipment.

• Untrained staff: Don’t skimp on training or let veteran employees miss safety meetings.

Ergonomics to Prevent Warehouse Injuries

Ergonomics refers to tools and methods that have been designed to suit a task. The more you manage ergonomics, the fewer injuries you can expect.

Warehouse equipment is one obvious area to consider ergonomics. For example, you might see a warehouse worker hunched over while strenuously pushing a wheeled cart. This almost guarantees a back injury. Ergonomic industrial tugs remove most of the physical burden and let the worker stay in a comfortable position.

Lifting techniques can also be designed for ergonomics. Heavy items that get moved should be a few feet off the ground so the worker does not have to bend all the way over repetitively.

Next steps: refresh safety training at your warehouse and bring in motorized industrial tugs for better ergonomics.

Four Most Common Safety Problems for Warehouses

Warehouses Need to Run Smoothly, Safely and Efficiently

Your warehouse is a vital part of the supply chain. It is imperative that products move through the process efficiently and safely. Accidents can result in damaged products, costly downtime, and injuries or death for your team members. Take some time to review these four common safety problems and take the necessary steps to prevent them in your warehouse.

Insufficient training

Health and Safety Magazine says in depth operator training on all material handling procedures and proper communication of all rules for workplace safety are the most important things all warehouse managers can do to maintain a safe warehouse.

Warehouse ergonomics

Working in the same environment day after day with ongoing pressure to meet tight schedules, it is easy for employees to take their personal safety and things like proper lifting techniques for granted. That is why we offer a full line of ergonomic electric tuggers, powered carts and pullers for any industrial application.

Trips and falls

These common injuries are often the result of fatigue or insufficient sleep. Train your employees to use proper equipment like powered carts when applicable and be sure supervisors watch for signs that workers may be distracted or impaired on the job.

Harmful substances

Some chemicals are necessary, but can also be serious workplace hazards. Be vigilant about safety training and proper handling of harmful substances.

Knowledge of warehouse ergonomics is essential to prevent injuries due to overexertion. At DJ Products, we specialize in providing you with reliable and easy-to-use methods of moving product and heavy equipment. Visit our website for our full line of cart pullers and other warehouse equipment.

Tips for Improving Slotting and Picking in Your Warehouse

Improving Warehouse Efficiency

Every warehouse runs as effectively as possible. Orders come in, they get filled and go out. It’s the nature of the business. However, by using a few simple tips you can greatly increase the efficiency of your warehouse, saving time and effort.

Slot your products by season — In many cases, the usage of certain products depends upon the season. Instead of searching the entire warehouse for seasonal products, group them together so you’ll know exactly where to go.

Use software for categorization — List the most frequently requested products that you have with software. Instead of endlessly searching the entire database, these products will come up first and limit your search times.

Group the most requested products together — You can make a warehouse within a warehouse by grouping the most commonly requested products together. Those products which are requested between 70% to 80% of the time, should have their own space. Ideally, they should be closer to the front to reduce travel time.

Waist to shoulder zone — All of your most commonly requested products, regardless of how you categorize them, should be in the waist to shoulder picking zone. Constantly climbing or bending for the most often requested products wastes time and energy.

Use the right warehouse equipment — Regardless of anything else, the right warehouse equipment for slotting, picking and moving surplus will improve effectiveness and efficiency in every warehouse environment.

For more information on warehouse equipment for any job, contact DJ Products, makers of trailer movers, dumpster movers and even rail car movers. We have the mobile solutions for all of warehouse floor management needs.

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