Warehouse Scheduling Tips
It’s holiday season and time for all hands on deck to handle the rapidly increasing activity in your warehouse. How do you create a schedule that maximizes productivity with the least disruption to employees? Our Sales Engineers at DJ Products, makers of the electric trailer dolly, share some expert tips.
Tips for Holiday Warehouse Scheduling
1. Gather all the pieces of the puzzle.
Scheduling involves a number of moving parts. Factors to take into consideration include:
- What is the ebb and flow of the workload?
- What is your payroll budget?
- Are you working with full-time workers, part-time workers, or a mix?
- Do you have all required positions covered?
Make sure you have all the necessary information before you begin scheduling.
2. Get input from employees.
While work is certainly a priority for most people, personal life events, such as the birth of a child, can and should be accommodated. The best schedules incorporate a degree of flexibility to allow for such occasions. Institute a system for employees to request changes for major events.
Here are some other ways to get workers involved:
- Allow employees to find their own coverage for shifts they can’t work.
- If possible, let workers adjust the time of their shift if needed. For example, they could start two hours later and finish two hours later.
3. Keep the channels of communication open.
For a schedule to work well, everyone should be on the same page. Make sure you establish a system of communication, whether written or digital, so workers can easily contact managers and each other.
4. Think outside the box.
Companies are no longer tied to the rigid, 9-to-5 schedules of the past. Flex time and split shifts are just a couple of the solutions you can use. Don’t be afraid to get creative if you’re faced with some scheduling difficulties.
The Trailer Dolly and Other Material Handling Solutions from DJ Products
Now that your scheduling procedures are set, help your workers improve productivity. Contact us at 800.686.2651 to learn more about the trailer dolly and other battery-powered tugs, movers and pushers from DJ Products.