Warehouse management tips for this holiday season

With the holiday season around, it is very important to have your warehouse well prepped, as you may need to multitask the inventory, shipments, and returns all in a go. And as we all know the holiday season shall grab a whole lot of sales that will, in turn, bring in revenue along with it and have your holiday performance rates skyrocket.

So here are a few things that we would like to bring to your kind notice, which will help you, plan to organize, stock, and load your warehouse stress-free.

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10 tips for your warehouse management during holidays

1. Holiday helping hands-The best warehouse management tips are always related directly to planning and organizing the warehouse accordingly, and for this purpose, you will need a few extra helping hands.

So instead of paying overtime to the existing staff and overstressing them, make sure that you hire a few extra helping hands exclusively for the holidays and train them accordingly to manage and handle the additional workload of the season. This will not only keep the existing staff bright and happy but also keep them much more productive and motivated all through the holiday season.

With the temporary staff, you will be able to provide them with the responsibilities of keeping the warehouse clean and uncluttered as well as keeping all the inventories organized.

2. Make full use of the pallet racking system– The pallet racking system by itself promotes organizing the inventories, so make sure to take full advantage of the same. Have the inventories arranged and organized in such a way that it will not leave any space or shelf unused?

3. Well-Stocked Inventory-It is very important to have the entire inventory well-stocked because holiday seasons normally are the peak season of sales. And we don’t want to lose a customer just because we run out of stock, so it is better to get all your inventories in place before the seasonal promotions start.

4. Customise and store inventories as per the shipping order– Try to keep products and materials that are alike and are required to go to a specific country in the same area, because this will directly save you time.

5. Reschedule the current staff timing-Arrange for assistance at the warehouse 24/7 for which you will require a schedule management software, with which you may plan and schedule the existing and temporary staff in such a manner that they are available at the store 24/7 in different shift timings at the warehouse for the customers to walk in and do the purchase at their flexible timings. The schedule management software will also allow the staff to have an advanced look at their roster for the week, through which they can view, swap or even adjust shifts with their coworkers as per their convenience. Hence leaving the employees more engaged and motivated to the job.

6. Take Technology Assistance– Feel free to make use of all the possible and available technology to update your warehouse management system as this is a foolproof way to streamline all the processes which will, in turn, ensure the functioning of the entire supply chain at peak capacity.

7. Workout a map– It might sometimes get difficult for customers to move around or navigate at your warehouse, especially if they are in search of a specific product and are in a hurry. What you can do is get the staff to hand out a floor plan to the customers when they walk in, to make things simple and clear, and also to avoid the unnecessary crowding of the customers at the store.

8. Focus on your warehouse maintenance– If you feel that a piece of faulty machinery or a cantilever pallet rack needs to be serviced or taken care of, do not delay the same, instead make sure that it is repaired or replaced at the earliest possible and by getting this done you will be able to avoid any type of disaster or harm to come from the same.

9. Have a well-planned return policy in place– Just like the sales during the festive season, it is also right to expect a return by the beginning of the year, so instead of getting the customers waiting and irate at the store, make sure to have a hassle-free return process in place, that will portray the store’s speed and efficiency of handling the customers to keep them happy that will, in turn, tend the customer to return to you for more purchase going forward.

10. Be prepared well in advance– Do not wait for the holiday season to start, start organizing and managing your warehouse well in advance to expect a rise in sales when the holiday season starts.

So, now you are all well prepared for your warehouse management during this holiday season.