The role of a warehouse manager is complex. Warehouse managers have to wear multiple hats including inventory management, staffing, directing and more. Warehouse operations have an evolving nature from tech adoption to labor flexibility.
Here are 10 essential tips to help you run a smarter, faster, and more flexible warehouse.
Tip 1: Implement a Warehouse Management System
A warehouse management system (WMS) improves inventory accuracy, order fulfillment, and real time decision making. WMS’s take some time to become fully integrated so adopt a WMS sooner rather than later.
To create a warehouse wide efficient tool choose a system that integrates with your carriers, scanner, and ERP.
Tip 2: Use On-Demand Staffing Apps to Flex Up Fast
Apps like Bacon Work allow you to pick up warehouse shifts and fill roles according to real time demand. Warehouse temp staffing helps reduce overtime costs, avoid burnout of full time employees, and meet spikes in volume.
Tip 3: Build a Bench of Trusted Temp Workers
Having go-to temporary warehouse workers ensures you’re not starting from scratch every busy season or spike in demand. Using warehouse job apps like Bacon warehouse managers and team leads can add good workers to their favorites list. These workers can be directly invited to staff warehouse shifts in the future.
Tip 4: Replace Traditional Temp Agencies
Traditional temp agencies near you act as a middleman between temp labor and warehouse managers. Replacing temp agencies with a faster and more flexible option gives managers more control over their staffing.
More control over warehouse staff means staffing can be flexed up or down according to demand. As well as controlling the wages of the workers to find a price efficiency for finding warehouse staff.
Tip 5: Train Your Supervisors on Working with Temp Staff
Finding warehouse workers is one challenge, having supervisors that know how to manage temp staff is another. Temps often don’t get the same onboarding as full time or part time workers. Make sure team leads know how to set clear expectations and foster return from temp staff.
Pro Tip: Create a 15-minute crash course on your SOPs and culture.
Tip 6: Embrace Warehouse Automation to Boost Productivity
Automation in warehouses has become an increasing warehouse trend in recent years Automation includes pick-to-light, AMRs or conveyor sorters. These tools reduce error rates by reducing repetitive tasks for human workers.
Start automation off in small pieces, automate your most repetitive processes first and train workers how to work efficiently with automation.
Tip 7: Communicate Like It’s a Mission-Critical Operation (Because It Is)
Missed memos can result in missed or incorrect shipments. Communication is a critical and vital skill for a warehouse manager.
To improve communication use visual dashboards, shift huddles, and radios for faster feedback loops. Clear communication reduces errors and can reduce temp worker no-show rates.
Tip 8: Track KPIs Religiously (Not Just at the End of the Month)
You can’t fix what you don’t track. Tracking KPI’s the entire month shows you what is successful and what needs improvement. Tracking on a weekly basis gives you time to find a solution and improve before the end of the period.
Key KPIs to track are pick rate, error rate, inventory turnover, on-time shipments, etc.
Tip 9: Cross-Train Your Workers for Agility
A worker who can pick, pack, and load is a more valuable asset. Instead of constantly hiring picking and packing workers to fill in when someone calls out. Consider cross-training staff during slower periods.
Cross training your workers not only gives you more agility but lets the workers know that you are investing in them and their development.
This also allows for efficiency during periods of high demand, like the busy season, because you have workers ready to work in any department.
Tip 10: Treat Your Warehouse Like a Talent Pipeline, Not a Revolving Door
Whether full-time or temp worker, showing you valve your workers boots retention and performance. Humans deserve to be treated with respect no matter what role they are working in.
Track how workers perform and if you find pickers and packers from a temp source that are high performers consider bringing them on full time. Using temp agencies and staffing apps as a pipeline to continually bring new talent into your warehouse makes sourcing workers easier and more reliable.
Pro Tip: Staffing app Bacon doesn't charge a temp-to-hire fee.
Conclusion:
Running a warehouse today is equal parts logistics wizardry and people leadership. With the right systems, staffing strategy, and communications playbook, you can turn your operations into a well oiled machine.
