August 2018

How to Drive More Efficiency with Picking and Packing Best Practices

Want to create more efficiency in your warehouse? Looking for ways to improve your picking and packing processes?

When your warehouse is slow or inefficient, it can cause problems in every part of your business. Because of this, it’s important that you’re always following warehouse best practices and using the best techniques for picking and packing.

Below we’ll look at the very best tips and warehouse organization ideas that can help your team be more efficient in the warehouse than ever before.

1. Perfect Your Storage Plan

One of the most important things you can do to make your warehouse more efficient is to create a great storage plan and find ways to maximize warehouse space. You need to consider the different strategies for your warehouse so that you can store items in a way that makes sense.

Many warehouses are organized very randomly, and items are only placed in whatever space is available at any given time. It’s important to build some kind of organizational strategy that can improve and speed up the picking process.

A volume-based system in which items are organized based on their popularity and how much they are needed is usually a great choice.

It can work well to use a combination of random storage along with a volume storage system. By doing this, you’ll have a section of your warehouse dedicated to high volume areas. However, new items will be placed into any part of that section.

2. Choose Your Picking Strategy Wisely

In addition to having a great storage plan in your warehouse, it’s also crucial to use the best picking strategy you can.

If you have orders that are time sensitive and need to get out of the warehouse fast, it’s important that you have a great picking strategy that can keep up.

There are a few different options that you may not know about, and each comes with their benefits. Here are a few common picking strategies you may want to consider using.

Piece Picking

Piece picking is one of the most popular and common picking strategies. With this method, an order will be picked individually once it comes in. Usually, a worker will simply go into the warehouse and pick the items until an order is filled.

This is a very simple strategy and is usually only best for smaller warehouses.

Batch Picking

Batch picking is one step up from piece picking.

In this case, instead of one order being picked, a worker will pick several different orders at one time. This can work well for a warehouse that has a bit more volume, but can still be slow compared to other methods.

Zone Picking

With a zone picking strategy, workers will be assigned to different areas in the warehouse. They’ll pick their items and place it in a box. If an order requires items from several zones, the box can then be moved to the next section manually or by using a conveyor belt.

While there are other good picking methods, the options above are some of the most popular. It’s important to find the one that works best for your warehouse and the volume you’re experiencing.

3. Only Touch Items Once

One important thing to remember is that you need to minimize touches during the picking and packing process. Using only one touch when picking will prevent errors and eliminate the need for extra repacking and shipping checking.

The picking process needs to be streamlined as much as possible. The best way to do this is to ensure that an item is only touched once. Eliminate the need for smaller containers and make sure that items are being moved from the shelf to the box to a truck.

Having pickers perform the entire move from to the truck in one movement will allow things to go more smoothly.

4. Decrease Worker Movements

Another best practice for improving efficiency is to decrease movement in your warehouse. Make sure that your workers are walking back and forth as little as possible in the warehouse.

When your workers are traveling long distances from Point A to Point B all day long, they can get tired fast. You’ll also be losing a lot of time while they’re in transit.

As a result, decreasing their transit time can be a good part of motivating warehouse staff and ensuring that they remain sharp. Having tired workers around is not good for maximizing efficiency, and it’s possible they’ll make mistakes in their state.

You need to evaluate your picking and packing strategies and take a long look at your storage plan in your warehouse. Chances are that a few changes could really make all the difference.

Consider switching to a zone picking strategy and storing your items in a more logical way. This will reduce the time your workers spend walking around the warehouse.

5. Automate More of Your Picking and Packing Process

When you’re trying to increase efficiency in the warehouse, it’s important to look for every way that you can to incorporate new technology to automate your picking and your packing processes.

You may want to consider installing conveyor belts to move items from different areas of the warehouse as needed. Barcode scanners and similar types of technology are also essential for keeping track of items that leave your warehouse.

Whatever ways you can find to automate warehouse tasks, it can be a big help in improving your process. This will allow you to free up your workers to do more important things. You’ll be able to ensure your warehouse is operating smoothly and efficiently at all times.

Final Thoughts

The process of optimizing and improving warehouse picking and packing strategies is neverending. There are always ways to make things in your warehouse run more smoothly and quickly.

By following the tips above, you’ll already be on the path to success and will ensure you’re making your warehouse more efficient than ever before.

Looking for a great courier service that can meet your needs? Contact us today to learn more about our services and what we can do for you.

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What Can Courier Companies Do for Your Business?

same day delivery

If your day to day delivery requirements have an impact on your success and reputation, you may need something more than UPS or FedEx.

Fortunately, courier companies offer a number of options the large parcel delivery services can’t provide. It may be time to make a switch.

But exactly what does a courier service do for you? If you’re asking yourself this question, keep reading.

We’re going over some of the primary benefits of using a courier service and how they can help your business.

Fast Service

Whether you’re sending products out to customers or need business documents delivered across town, speed is always important.

A courier company can provide you with a level of timeliness the larger parcel services can’t. Couriers offer a much more personalized experienced, pacing your needs as their top priority.

When you hire a courier, they can show up when requested and will guarantee your package makes it to its destination on time. This is a level of service UPS or FedEx doesn’t have the ability to provide.

With them, your delivery gets grouped in with the rest. Even if you pay for faster service, there’s no guarantee it will arrive when promised.

In addition, a courier company is available 24/7 and can even provide service on holidays. This comes in handy if you have an emergency delivery.

Professional couriers also have an intimate knowledge of the city and know the best routes to take in order to ensure prompt delivery. With postal services, you never know for sure.

Reliability and Care

Damaged or missing items could mean a loss of business. Knowing your package is in good hands is an invaluable service, especially when shipping important documents or products.

You’ve likely heard stories about packages getting abused and damaged by the larger parcel services. Maybe you’ve experienced this yourself.

When you use a professional courier, you eliminate this worry. They understand the importance of your delivery and will handle it with care.

One reason you can trust your package with a courier is that they’re handling fewer deliveries at once. They’re not throwing you package in the back of a truck with a hundred others.

For salaried couriers, they have an obligation to provide good service for every customer. If they don’t, they could lose their job.

Many courier companies also offer freight services with the same level of care and reliability. Regardless of the size of the item, you get to have the peace of mind it’ll arrive safely and on time.

Cost-Effectiveness

Depending on your shipping needs, using traditional methods could be extremely expensive. There’s a good chance a courier service will provide better rates. Plus, you get more personalized care for the money.

Courier companies don’t have the same fees and regulations as the large parcel services. Instead, they offer different options such as flat-rate or per-mile.

Choosing to enter into a contract with a courier can make your daily delivery requirements much more cost-effective. You’ll know upfront how much you’ll pay each week, which makes forming and adhering to a budget much easier.

If you often ship heavy objects, you’ll likely see huge savings. Courier services typically don’t charge exorbitant amounts for items over a certain weight. They can also offer discounted rates for shipping larger volumes.

The cost-effectiveness of a courier can also allow you to provide better shipping rates to your customers. This is great for client retention.

You can often get online quotes from couriers, so you’ll know upfront how much you’re about to spend.

Better Customer Service

The customer experience you’ll get is one of the biggest benefits of using a courier service. What’s even better is this customer service is extended to the recipients of your deliveries as well.

Couriers are trained to provide a professional, personalized experience for every customer. This is one of the things that sets them apart from traditional parcel services.

They maintain a good appearance, are polite and have quality vehicles. This means a lot to businesses who have high delivery requirements. A courier’s professionalism is an extension of your business and can help maintain a good reputation.

On your end, you’ll enjoy a level of customer support the large parcel companies don’t have the resources to provide. This includes online ordering, phone support, easy tracking, and instant quotes for every type of service they provide.

Courier companies can also send electronic proof of delivery, so you know the second your package arrives. This could be by phone or email.

Streamlining the entire delivery process is what courier companies are all about. Postal services simply don’t have the resources to provide this level of service.

More Delivery Options

When working with an established courier company, fast delivery service isn’t the only thing available to you. Many companies offer a full range of shipping and storage options.

This may include warehousing service for items that need to be stored until a future shipping date. They may also offer refrigerated services for perishable items.

These services are great for online retail businesses and companies that need help storing inventory until a specific delivery date.

You’ll also be able to take advantage of pre-scheduled deliveries and same-day delivery. Regardless of your business’s needs, a reliable courier service can become your one-stop resource for all your delivery needs.

Discover How Courier Companies Can Help Your Business

If traditional shipping methods are no longer getting the job done for your business, it’s time to hire a courier service. Not only can they provide faster service, courier companies can offer a number of other resources that will help your business function smoothly.

Consider your daily shipping needs and determine what kind of commitment you need from a courier. Regardless of what you need, finding a professional service will solve a number of problems at once.

We offer a full range of courier and warehousing solutions in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area. Contact us today to learn what we can do for you.

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