How to Minimize Product Searches in a Warehouse

Warehouse personnel categorize and label products to find certain inventory.

Warehouse personnel handle a large amount of products that need to be sorted and labeled before storage. This procedure can lessen the time spent searching across the warehouse shelves for that inventoried item needed for the office staff, production operations or other company processes. Having a warehouse procedure for cutting down on product searches also saves the company money by preventing shelves from becoming overstocked with one particular item because it is not handled and stored properly.

Instructions

1. Check warehouse database systems and lists of items whenever deliveries arrive with shipments to be stored. Label the items accordingly to match existing records, or develop new labels and data entries for newly received items. (Reference 2, page 66, paragraph 7) This process should be done before any stock moves from the warehouse delivery platform to the storage areas.

2. Separate the warehouse into different categorized sections, such as with letters, while subcategorizing shelves by numbers that match the label numbers for inventoried stock within the database. Affix a list of all the products by number at the beginning of the aisled rows. (Reference 1, page 1, section: V, green labeling)

3. Store similar types of products in the same general area, such as copier toner near copier paper. This process minimizes searches when several items are needed at one time for the same machinery. Place items used most frequently near the front of the warehouse to create an efficient product search. Train any new warehouse personnel in the storage procedures so that products do not become misplaced on shelves.

References

• Shawnee Mission School District: Supply Center --- Warehouse Procedures
• Lawson Software: Warehouse Procedures Manual; February 1999