Warehouse spaces needed to be as organized and manageable as possible — this is for both the safety of those working in the area and so items can be easily located. Without proper inventory management, productivity can suffer, items can easily get lost, and overall operations can be hindered. This is why it’s so important to find a good inventory management system that works for your warehouse space. So to help you find one that is right for your business, here are a few inventory management tips to get you started.
Prioritize proper labeling
Labeling items correctly is key to an organized inventory. Whether you use barcode labels, QR code labels, or other tags, labeling is essential — with the right labeling system, your employees will be able to put away items in their proper location and be able to find inventory quickly and easily. Labeling will help reduce errors and help work orders get filled on time. You should also digitize your labeling system so you can keep track of inventory on your tablet or computer, too. Scanning items into the system using the right labels will allow you to receive notifications when orders are ready and alert when inventory is low.
Give access to necessary employees
Tracking isn’t just for inventory, but for employees, too. There are a lot of different types of employees in a warehouse and not all of them need access to every part of the building. Limiting access for employees who don’t need to be in certain areas of the building can help promote safety and limit the risk of misplacing inventory or even theft. You should minimize the number of unauthorized people, whether it’s employees, customers, or vendors, near the inventory job site — consider using ID scanners to know who is where.
Keep a strict maintenance schedule
You can’t successfully keep track of items in your inventory if you don’t have working equipment to help you out. This is why you should make sure your equipment, like forklifts, is in good condition at all times. Every warehouse should have a schedule for important tasks, like forklift engine maintenance, to ensure they don’t get pushed aside — having preventative maintenance schedules in place is crucial to ensure workflow does not get interrupted and inventory management can carry on as needed. Consider using a spreadsheet that shows when the equipment was last looked at by maintenance to keep a schedule going.
Have a secure online database
Warehouses have a lot of tasks and items to keep track of — not only does inventory have to be tracked and organized, but other tasks, like IT support and payroll, need to be managed, too. In order to keep all company information secure and in one place, you should have an online database. This type of database can help keep important information, including customer information, order numbers, and employee tasks, organized in one place. This way, you can even utilize an asset tracking system to simplify tasks and ensure all different areas of the business are integrated into one account.
Utilize the entire space
Whether you have a big or small area to work in, you should be optimizing every inch of your space. The layout you choose for your inventory storage, office space, and shipping and receiving areas could drastically change the way your business operates. You need to make sure you have plenty of room for your inventory to be stored securely and safely, but you also need to ensure employees have room to move around and do their jobs. Consider the overall function of an area, how many hours of use certain spaces get, and what the best way to optimize space is to ensure productivity can be maximized.
Inventory management is crucial in any warehouse space — so keep these simple tips in mind to help ensure your building is being organized and used in the best way possible.
