Warehouse Managerial Factors: If you’re experiencing problems in warehouse management.
Rest assured that you’re likely not the only one.
So many factors affect smooth operation of warehouse management that overlooking.
Or underestimating small details can end up causing unforeseen problems.
On the other hand, a successfully managed warehouse.
One that performs reliably and efficiently, is a huge asset to any company.
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Warehouse Managerial Factors:
1. Managing Warehouse Space/Layout
Real estate is a tremendous asset.
Used in the best possible way, it will ensure that you can do more with all of the space you have on-hand.
This means enhancing storage systems, as well as racking and pallet patterns.
Make sure that receiving areas have the necessary space for speedy operations.
Create pre-decided pick paths to move things through your warehouse more effectively.
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2. Communication
Lack of communication is a huge challenge within the logistical chain.
Effective communication maximizes productivity.
If everyone involved in making supply chain decisions is on the same page.
A warehouse is going to be able to plan and execute shipments that much more quickly.
This can be achieved through using the right applications, software, and other tools.
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Warehouse Managerial Factors:
3. Time Management
This is an important consideration that comes down.
To having procedures ready to fulfill orders and ship them out.
Order picking should not take so much time that it costs your business money.
To effectively manage time, guesswork in the location of stock must be eliminated.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
4. Inventory Accuracy/Tracking
Stock should always be stored in its correct place, in properly identified areas.
A breakdown in accuracy or tracking of goods can be traced to several areas.
There might be incorrect receipts and purchase orders.
If information is recorded via manual tracking system, it should always be verified for accuracy.
Your warehouse staff must also be properly trained in order to handle errors from other departments.
More useful online-based cloud management software can bring greater accuracy and transparency to your entire warehouse operation.
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Warehouse Managerial Factors:
5. Customer Expectations
Today, customers have learned to expect more than ever before.
Including shorter shipping times, perfect order accuracy, and amazing customer service.
When you get specific requests from customers, you must give them exactly what they want.
To do otherwise means risking disaster.
An effective warehouse is going to account for individual customer preferences by automatically creating the right type of labels.
If your inventory isn’t accurate, that could lead to shortages, delays in fulfillment.
And out-of-stocks that are going to diminish the satisfaction of your customers.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
6. Redundant Processes
Repeating the same processes ends up increasing your labor costs.
See the example of how documents like pick tickets sometimes have to pass through many channels.
This can all be eliminated by using barcode technology.
Which is found in warehouses that use modern automated systems.
Cut down on the time it takes to fulfill an order by using a system to manage purchase orders that gives you all the relevant information (pick list, SKU number, and location) to increase efficiency.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
7. Product Diversification
What are your most popular products?
Generally, every business operates on the 80/20 rule where 20 percent of your inventory generates 80 percent of your sales.
Look closely at the other 20 percent of products to see what else customers are demanding.
Being able to continually meet their needs, while eliminating stock that isn’t in demand, will make your business a winner each and every time.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
8. Product Picking Optimization
To speed up the process of picking orders, avoid manually entering SKU’s, and instead.
Use a scanner or image capture on your smartphone or tablet.
In order to get the most up-to-date reading of your inventory.
Beware that shrink wrapping, lamination, as well as certain color combinations can cause a barcode to not scan properly.
Automated processes and set picking routes will allow you to optimize your warehouse management.
Also consider changing the aisle width based on your forklift configuration.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
9. Inaccurate Purchase Orders
It is critical that invoices match what is received on purchase orders.
A business that is growing can have a lot of things happening that are unseen or not scrutinized enough because purchase orders will be larger and more complex.
Having accurate information helps remedy issues much more easily.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
10. Handling Product Damages
In warehousing operations, whenever items are broken, it becomes expensive.
While some damage is inevitable, it can be greatly reduced through proper warehouse management.
Always look for pallets that have broken planks, stringers, or nails because they can break.
Pallets also have to be stacked, loaded and wrapped correctly.
An efficient warehouse is going to be properly lit, clean, and one that avoids overloading shelves and racks.
Rack safety netting, pallet rack column protectors, accumulation conveyors.
Low clearance warning bars.
And steel guarding are all also important to install to protect both product and people.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
11. Managing Fluctuations in Demand
Seasonality, changes in the economy, weather, and many other factors play a role in volatility of demand.
For example, a global financial crisis will result in decreased consumer confidence.
And therefore, more products sitting in warehouses.
Warehouses must always use timely and accurate information in order to forecast demand.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
12. Globalization
The net result of globalization has been a massive influx of competition from abroad.
Products from certain countries don’t always provide the same level of workmanship.
That you might take personal pride in offering, but their lower production costs can kill your business.
Effective warehouse management will save you both time and money through automated processes and greater accuracy in delivering orders. That’s something that those abroad may not be able to do nearly as well.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
13. Get Warehouse Management Systems and Services from APS Fulfillment, Inc.
Are you looking for the most effective solution to any challenges you’re experiencing in warehouse management?
If so, then APS Fulfillment Inc.’s warehouse management systems can help your business grow while lowering costs. We’re experts at managing warehouses because we know so much about the process.
14. Get the Key Management Factors
Several factors, which change in importance as the business grows and develops, are prominent in determining ultimate success or failure.
We identified eight such factors in our research, of which four relate to the enterprise and four to the owner.
The four that relate to the company are as follows:
1. Financial resources, including cash and borrowing power.
2. Personnel resources, relating to numbers, depth, and quality of people, particularly at the management and staff levels.
3. Systems resources, in terms of the degree of sophistication of both information and planning and control systems.
4. Business resources, including customer relations, market share, supplier relations, manufacturing and distribution processes, technology and reputation, all of which give the company a position in its industry and market.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
The four factors that relate to the owner are as follows:
1. Owner’s goals for himself or herself and for the business.
2. Owner’s operational abilities in doing important jobs such as marketing, inventing, producing, and managing distribution.
3. Owner’s managerial ability and willingness to delegate responsibility and to manage the activities of others.
4. Owner’s strategic abilities for looking beyond the present and matching the strengths and weaknesses of the company with his or her goals.
As a business moves from one stage to another, the importance of the factors changes.
We might view the factors as alternating among three levels of importance:
First, key variables that are absolutely essential for success and must receive high priority;
second, factors that are clearly necessary for the enterprise’s success and must receive some attention;
And third, factors of little immediate concern to top management.
If we categorize each of the eight factors listed previously.
Based on its importance at each stage of the company’s development.
We get a clear picture of changing management demands.
15. Varying Demands
The changing nature of managerial challenges becomes apparent when one examines .
In the early stages, the owner’s ability to do the job gives life to the business.
Small businesses are built on the owner’s talents.
The ability to sell, produce, invent, or whatever.
This factor is thus of the highest importance.
The owner’s ability to delegate, however, is on the bottom of the scale.
Since there are few if any employees to delegate to.
16. Avoiding Future Problems
Even a casual look at Exhibit 5 reveals the demands the Take-off Stage makes on the enterprise.
Nearly every factor except the owner’s “ability to do” is crucial.
This is the stage of action and potentially large rewards.
Looking at this exhibit, owners who want such growth must ask themselves:
Do I have the quality and diversity of people needed to manage a growing company?
Do I have now, or will I have shortly, the systems in place to handle the needs of a larger, more diversified company?
Do I have the inclination and ability to delegate decision making to my managers?
Do I have enough cash and borrowing power along with the inclination to risk everything to pursue rapid growth?
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
Similarly, the potential entrepreneur can see that starting a business requires an ability to do something very well.
Or a good marketable idea), high energy, and a favorable cash flow forecast (or a large sum of cash on hand).
These are less important in Stage V, when well-developed people-management skills.
Good information systems, and budget controls take priority.
Perhaps this is why some experienced people from large companies fail to make good.
As entrepreneurs or managers in small companies.
They are used to delegating and are not good enough at doing.
17. Applying the Model
This scheme can be used to evaluate all sorts of small business situations.
Even those that at first glance appear to be exceptions.
Take the case of franchises.
These enterprises begin the Existence Stage.
With a number of differences from most start-up situations.
18. Get a proper marketing plan
A marketing plan developed from extensive research.
Sophisticated information and control systems in place.
Operating procedures that are standardized and very well developed.
Promotion and other start–up support such as brand identification.
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
19. Arrange start-up capital
They also require relatively high start-up capital.
If the franchisor has done sound market analysis and has a solid.
Differentiated product, the new venture can move rapidly through the Existence and Survival Stages.
Where many new ventures founder—and into the early stages of Success.
Limited growth due to territory restrictions.
Heavy dependence on the franchisor for continued economic health.
20. Prepare for later challenges
A company’s development stage determines the managerial factors that must be dealt with.
Its plans help determine which factors will eventually have to be faced.
Knowing its development stage and future plans.
Enables managers, consultants, and investors to make more informed choices.
And to prepare themselves and their companies for later challenges.
While each enterprise is unique in many ways.
All face similar problems and all are subject to great changes.
That may well be why being an owner is so much fun and such a challenge.
21. Know the risk involve:
Your warehouse vendor will obviously take on a lot of the risk associated with moving and storing your freight. However, you still want to ask them about incident rates, safety procedures, and damage plans. Also, ask to see copies of their insurance coverage. You want to be absolutely clear up front about what they will or will not assume responsibility for so there are no misunderstandings if damages do occur.
22. Ge the best Technology:
Make sure that whoever you choose keeps up with the latest warehouse management technology. Do they rely mostly on manpower, or have they invested in modern robotics and conveyor belt systems to minimize human error? Ask if your computer systems and software integrate with theirs. Can they provide real-time reporting of inventory levels and other metrics?
23. Apply Value-Added Services:
Does the warehouse only handle basic storage and shipping services? Or are they able to offer packages that include value-added services like inspection, dispatch, inventory, reverse logistics, packaging, labeling, or reporting?
Warehouse Managerial Factors:
24. Get a better Storage Area:
This is probably the most basic, but important question for any warehouse provider. Do they have the capacity you need? Beyond that, you want to ask if you’ll have access to more space as your business grows.
25. Have Client Profile:
Most importantly, ask to see a list of your warehouse provider’s clients. If their current clients are mostly smaller companies with straightforward warehousing requirements, then perhaps they can’t handle more sophisticated requirements of a larger company. On the other hand, if the warehouse provider handles a lot of well–known brands and you’re a mid-sized company, you want to make sure that a) you don’t pay for more than you need, and b) they’ll give you the same attention and customer service that they would the “big guys.”
26. Make it accessible:
Any warehouse that you are considering as a major distribution center should be easy for trucks to get to via main highways. If you import or export goods overseas, then you’ll need a warehouse that’s close to seaports.
Conclusion:
Selecting a warehouse management system can be a challenge. Your company likely has very specific warehousing needs, and it can be difficult to sort through sales pitches and complicated jargon to find the best solution for your business.
As experts in distribution, fulfillment, and warehousing, we wanted to give you the top factors you should consider when choosing a warehouse management system.