How To Set Up And Manage A Warehouse

In this age of technology, rapid communication and international trade, companies are catering to bigger markets and selling their products on a much larger scale than ever before. This means that many companies have much greater amounts of stock on their hands at any given time. As a result, it is becoming increasingly common for companies to have one or several warehouses to store their goods prior to sale or delivery.

Location, Location, Location…
One of the most important things about a warehouse is its location. Since the advent of online shopping, delivery times and costs have become key selling points, so a strategically situated warehouse can mean quicker distribution of goods at a lower cost. Before investing in a warehouse, consider the locations of your competitors’ warehouses, their delivery times and their cost of delivery. Consumers want goods in their hands as soon after they click ‘buy’ as possible, so keep this in mind when choosing a location for your company’s warehouse.

Cleanliness
If you already have warehouses, you’ll know how easily plastic, labels, discarded boxes and other rubbish can build up. A clean warehouse is an efficient warehouse, as staff members don’t have to step over piles of rubbish or sort through discarded materials to find what they’re looking for, so ensure that your warehouse has plenty of bins, which are emptied regularly. If your staff isn’t keeping the place as clean as you would like, you could assign responsibility for the cleanliness of different areas of the warehouse to different members of staff.

Warehouse Doors
Warehouse doors are an important consideration. The type of roller shutter doors you see on garages are perfect for warehouses as they can be used for entrances of all sizes and most warehouses will have loading docks for trucks as well as entrances that will see both human and vehicular traffic. They do not take up any space as they simply roll upwards out of the way, unlike doors which need leeway to swing open and closed. As commercial roller shutter doors are usually electronically operated, so there’s no manpower necessary. Not only that, but roller shutter doors offer security, keeping your stock safe when everyone goes home in the evening.

Maintaining a warehouse that caters to your company’s needs, keeping stock safe and getting goods out to customers in good time, is no mean feat, but with a little bit of thought, you can keep your warehouse running smoothly.

This article was written by warehouse manager Michael Hennessy on behalf of a leading provider of commercial roller shutter doors.