Whether you’re running a logistics company or just a central supply station for your e-commerce store, having a warehouse that runs effectively and efficiently can directly influence your profitability. Warehouses are made successful by great design and inventory management systems, yes, but they also succeed on the back of the teams that operate them. As such, we’re going to take a closer look at how you can support and bolster that team so they can help you see warehouse success.
Provide Ongoing, Comprehensive Training
First of all, you need to make sure that your team members have the skills they need to be effective on the warehouse floor. Putting together comprehensive training provisions can ensure that new hires get the onboarding they need in terms of safety procedures, equipment use, picking and packing standards, and general workflow practices. Training shouldn’t stop once their first week is over, either. Keep their skills sharp with refresher sessions and updates any time you integrate new equipment or processes to help streamline things. Well-trained employees make fewer mistakes, work more efficiently, and feel more capable in their roles, which makes for a team that’s not just more effective but is able to work with higher morale, which can directly affect their productivity.
Integrate Trainers Into Your Team
If you want to be able to get your workers ready to contribute in no time, to manage the costs of training, and to be able to provide refreshers where and when they are needed, it’s often a better idea to embed trainers directly into your team rather than always turning to outside providers. For instance, with forklift instructor training, you can have a forklift expert in your team who is not only likely to be one of your best operators, but can then provide training and even certification to your workers, helping you get new forklift operators out on the floor much more quickly when you need them. This approach also creates career development opportunities for senior staff, improving engagement and retention.
Standardize Your Work Processes
The right training can help make your team a lot more efficient, but you should also think about the processes that make up the workflow itself. By taking the time to nail down and document the best practices and order of events for specific workflows, you can make sure that every worker is trained in exactly the same method. While workers can sometimes develop more efficient and productive methods on their own, variability leads to some workers achieving worse results, more often than not. Standardizing your procedures for receiving, picking, packing, and loading makes training a lot easier and ensures a certain degree of quality control amongst your team. If someone on the team thinks they can do it better, give them the opportunity to try and show their method. If they’re right, you can update your standards, but if their method proves not as useful, you can just as easily switch them back to the old method.
Use Data To Track Human Error
The performance of your team is something that can be affected by a whole host of factors, so being able to keep a close eye on the reality of how they are doing can help you pinpoint moments you might need to check in. Warehouse management systems are great for not just managing your inventory, but also for tracking the productivity of your team. An increase in errors or a decrease in completed processes per day can indicate when something is affecting the performance of your team. From there, you need to find and address the root cause systemically, rather than focusing the blame on individuals.
Recognize And Reward Great Performance
While productivity issues should always be treated as systemic, first and foremost, the opposite is true for standout performance. When someone excels in the workplace, taking the time to recognize them or even providing rewards, whether it’s a certificate, a light bonus, or advancement opportunities, sets the standard for everyone else. Your team is more likely to be incentivized to work harder and better when they see that their efforts are actually being noticed. Providing regular feedback for employees helps them feel a lot more valued and invested in their work, which can make for a more effective team across the board.
Your team is going to be your key to running an efficient and effective warehouse. Keep the tips above in mind and integrate them into how you manage your team as best as possible so that you can always keep them at their sharpest.
