4 steps to get your warehouse back in order

4 steps to get your warehouse back in order

Over time, so much happens in a warehouse that it can slowly become quite chaotic. Order pickers come and go, stock comes and goes and in the meantime wrongly picked items have to be put back. This can cause the warehouse to eventually become unstructured. The danger of a warehouse that is not in order is that the lead time slows down considerably, causing customers to have to wait longer for their items. This costs the web shop more complaints, higher PR and customer service costs, all in all, not a good idea. In this blog article we will tell you how you can easily restructure your warehouse in 5 steps. 

Step 1: Give everything a fixed place

It’s not easy to create a warehouse layout, but a good layout ensures a fast throughput time, and this is very important in a good warehouse. The best way to organise your warehouse is therefore to use the ABC method. With this method, the sales of a product determine where the product is placed on the shelves. A-products are a small part of your stock but 80% of your turnover. The A products are at a convenient height, so they are easy to reach. B-products are 30% of your stock and 15% of your turnover. These products are at the bottom of the shelves and not very difficult to reach. C-products are 50% of your stock and good for 5% of your turnover. These products are on the top shelf because you don’t have to reach for them often. 

Step 2: Get your stock in order and make sure you have enough space

Determine what stock is still relevant and what can be discarded. Be efficient in this and you will see that it saves a lot of space. Then make a good inventory list and order what you need. Are you really short of space? Perhaps you are familiar with mezzanine floors? This is an enormously practical solution for space shortages within warehouses. An extra floor is created, which creates a lot more space without having to move. 

Step 3: Make sure you fill up your space in a smart way

When rearranging the warehouse, take into account the type of products you store and provide matching storage. Consider storage solutions such as storage bins, drawer bins or pallet boxes. This will help you organise your storage intelligently and save space. 

Step 4: Clean the warehouse

A clean warehouse is good for everyone and looks better too. When the warehouse has been completely rearranged and extra space has been created, it is time for a big clean. Clear out all large, coarse debris such as cardboard, paper and plastic and then get to work with the hoover. Once you have done this, it is time to give the floor a good mopping so that your warehouse is totally clean again.