Common Warehousing and Distribution Issues

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Common Warehousing and Distribution Issues and
How Outsourcing Can Overcome Them
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Introduction

• If you run a warehouse business, you must
  agree that its a crucial determiner of your
  profit-making prospects. Therefore, you have to
  take all the necessary measures to ensure that
  the distribution process is smooth. Of course,
  this means that your inventory has to be
  correctly arranged and that there are no delays
  during the distribution.
• As an integral part of your business, your
  warehouse highly influences your chances of
  growing. When the distribution process is
  smoother and the customers are able to get their
  orders fast, you are likely to attract more
  customers and make more money. This is because
  customers are likely to seek your services more
  often when they are assured of fast and secure
  shipment.

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• From the shipment to the organization,
  everything should be sorted to facilitate
  efficiency as well as productivity. This brings
  us to a concept called warehouse management.
  Essentially, warehouse management involves
  organizing and controlling every aspect in your
  warehouseand ensuring that everything runs in
  the most optimal way possible. This implies that
  you need to invest in accuracy, operation
  efficiency, warehouse safety, sanitation, and
  cost management.
• In most cases, the issues that affect the
  running of a warehouse are related to these
  factors. Luckily, the issues are manageable and
  one of the best solutions is outsourcing.
• Without further ado, here are 12 common
  warehousing and distribution issues and how
  outsourcing can help you overcoming them

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Table of Contents

• Inventory Inaccuracies.
• Slow Picking.
• Damaged Inventory.
• Redundancy.
• Slotting Discrepancies.
• Incomplete Orders.
• Labour Intensive.

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• Inaccessible Vertical Areas.
• Sanitation Challenges.
• Space Inefficiency.
• Unsafe Practices.
• Seasonality.
• Final Thoughts.

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Inventory Inaccuracies

• Gone are the days when all you needed to
  keep records of your inventory was a piece of
  paper and a pen. The shipping process has become
  so complicated these days that its necessary to
  switch from manual inventory management to
  digital solutions. However, without the right
  inventory management system, its hard to monitor
  what is shipped, where the specific orders for
  the customers are, and what items are out of
  stock. So, there are bound to be inaccuracies in
  your inventory.
• So often, inventory inaccuracy occurs due
  to the lack of an ideal automated system.
  Outsourcing expert allows you to access the right
  inventory management system that automates your
  operations. The system helps you to monitor all
  the stages of your warehousing business. Some of
  the key areas that the management system focuses
  on are
• Order management
• Product tracking
• Digital product identification
• Shipping management

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Slow Picking

• Every extra minute that is spent on
  organizing the inventory has a huge impact on
  your general operations. When the inventory is
  not well organized, there is bound to be
  discrepancies in the product picking process.
  Your manual pickers find it hard to locate most
  of the items and this is not good if you are
  looking to enjoy a faster shipping business.
• There are two promises that come with
  outsourcing and they are key to overcoming low
  picking. First, the professionals that you hire
  will suggest a sequence order picking process.
  This ensures that your employees always work with
  a packing list. With a better plan in place,
  theyll be able to find items quickly and this
  saves time. Secondly, the experts will help you
  implement advanced monitoring systems such as bar
  code scanners and palate inverters that are
  crucial in facilitating a quick and efficient
  stocktaking process. The products will be
  accurately identified to facilitate a smoother
  shipping process.

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Damaged Inventory

• When moving fragile inventory, there is the
  risk of them hitting hard surfaces in your
  warehouse and outside it. Likewise, shuffling and
  restacking boxes may also risk damaging the
  packed items. Not only is this an inconvenience
  to the customers but its also a worrying thing
  for your business since its tantamount to
  financial losses.
• Considering that damaged inventory is an
  issue associated with storage and packing
  difficulties, the company that you outsource will
  provide you with practical storage solutions for
  overcoming this risk. By helping you organize
  your warehouse, youll be able to protect your
  most valuable inventory from getting ruined.
  Theyll ensure that you have ample space in the
  warehouse. Therefore, you dont have to force
  anything when packing or storing.

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Redundancy

• A majority of warehousing problems are not
  that efficient because of redundancy. For
  example, its a common trend to see workers
  passing tickets among themselves before it can
  reach the intended target. Such handoffs are not
  really necessary since they call for manual
  tracking and this may slow the general operations
  in your warehouse.
• You need modern barcoding solutions and
  other automated wireless technologies that will
  eliminate the need for handoffs. This will ensure
  that very few workers get the opportunity to
  touch your products. When the handoffs are
  significantly minimized, youll be able to save
  on labour and time. Barcoding solutions can be
  outsourced, so you dont have to do it alone.

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Slotting Discrepancies

• When you employ forklifts in your warehouse
  without understanding how to properly place the
  items, they (the items) are likely to be slotted
  in the wrong places. This often results in
  inventory disorganization. Such discrepancies may
  consume your warehouse space unnecessarily. This
  makes it difficult to find enough space to store
  other items that are shipped later to your
  warehouse.
• For starters, outsourcing allows you to
  enjoy pre-planned advantages which guarantee you
  proper inventory organization. They look at the
  storage characteristics of your item and the
  supply needs. Additionally, outsourcing allows
  you to reconsider your racking system and to
  change if necessary. This depends on the layout
  and arrangement of your warehouse space. This
  will ensure that the correct items are slotted
  into the empty racks with space-saving goals in
  mind.

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Incomplete Orders

• There are different ways to describe this
  common distribution problem. In one way, it may
  be a case of your stock running out without you
  realizing it. In such a case, you only notice it
  when its too late and since you dont have any
  other option, you contemplate sending the wrong
  order or a low volume. In another way, it may be
  a case of sending damage products unknowingly.
  The good thing is that such problems are
  avoidable with outsourcing.
• Outsourcing helps you to put all your items
  in their proper places. By observing the best
  product handling practices, the experts will help
  you to minimize the risksof damages.
  Additionally, the experts will help you monitor
  your inventory using advanced technology. This
  reduces the likelihood of a customer getting an
  incomplete order. The professionals will also use
  technology to help you know when a given stock is
  nearly running out.

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Labour Intensive

• With modern automation being key in the
  warehousing sector, there is no need for you to
  hire so many workers to handle the manual jobs.
  In automation, the need for manual labor is
  significantly reduced by robots and automated
  lifters and loaders. Unfortunately, not all
  warehouses are fully automated, and this means
  that they have to rely on human power to lift and
  load items. Such processes are bound to call for
  extra financial costs since workers need to be
  compensated.
• By outsourcing modern automation
  solutions, youll be able to tremendously reduce
  the need for manual lifters and loaders. This not
  only ensures a faster process but also guarantees
  labour saving benefits. Your products will be
  organized depending on your existing warehouse
  space. Of course, the lifting and loading speed
  will be much enhanced.

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Inaccessible Vertical Areas

• When your staff wants to access high areas
  and you dont have advanced lifters, they will be
  forced to overextend or bend. Other than slowing
  down your distribution process, there is the risk
  of them suffering injuries.
• You need to outsource the right
  professionals who understand safe loading and
  offloading. Theyll help you find the right
  equipment for accessing the raised areas. The
  solutions that they provide will minimize the
  probability of your workers stretching or bending
  trying to reach the high areas. A perfect example
  is lifting tables. The tables are adjusted
  depending on the weight of the workers or the
  items being packed or unpacked. The most popular
  options in this case are

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• High-level scissors lifters These are ideal for
  lifting both workers and products to elevated
  spaces. They do not only guarantee strength but
  stability too.
• Floor-level lifting tables These are meant to
  provide you with perfect side loading and body
  positioning. They are key to preventing workplace
  injuries.
• Stainless steel lifting tables These are ideal
  for cases where manual lifting is necessary. They
  are able to make it easy for your manual lifters.

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Sanitation Challenges

• When dealing with food products and
  pharmaceuticals, you should be aware of possible
  contaminants. Some of them are very serious in
  the sense that they need professional handling.
  So, you need to think of a crucial bargain if you
  dont want to ruin your products. This will
  cushion you against significant financial losses.
• While the tools for handling warehousing
  contaminants are expensive, it may not be
  economical to purchase some of them. The most
  reasonable thing is to outsource a company that
  has the tools and the expertise of handling the
  challenges. Its cheaper and practical. Theyll
  use tools like plastic pallets which are meant to
  facilitate safe handling of warehousing
  contaminants. Other expensive tools that the
  company you outsource is likely to use are pallet
  washers and pallet inverters.

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Space Inefficiency

• Space efficiency is a very important factor
  in running a warehouse. Issues such as
  insufficient storage space, poor layout, and
  improper organization are becoming so popular
  these days and may limit the potential of your
  warehouse. Generally, space inefficiency can
  impact negatively on your profits.
• Outsourcing will help you use your existing
  space maximally. The experts will look at factors
  such as floor cover and elevation to ensure that
  enough space is created in your warehouse. This
  will help you maximize the efficiency of existing
  labor and warehousing equipment. Itll also
  ensure that the products in your warehouse are
  made accessible. Thisll be made possible by the
  introduction of machinery like forklifts that are
  meant to help you access items stored in high
  places.

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Unsafe Practices

• Since a warehouse is a workplace, it has to
  be safe for the employees. However, this is not
  always the case. There are bound to be safety
  challenges such as incorrect item stacking, fire
  safety concerns, motion injuries, and improper
  use of PPE (personal protection equipment).
• By outsourcing, youll have an opportunity
  to consult experts who understand safe
  warehousing practices. They will help your
  workers understand how to properly exercise
  caution at the facility and during the
  distribution process. Furthermore, theyll
  conduct safety assessments to improve workplace
  safety.

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Seasonality

• A fluctuation in demand is a serious
  challenge to the operations and market relevancy
  of your warehouse. Situations like global
  financial meltdown may be unavoidable but it
  takes proper preparedness to cushion your
  warehouse business against it. You need the right
  information pertaining to the manufacturing and
  retailing sectors to be able to withstand
  seasonality.
• There are so many information gaps that
  exist between your facility and other relevant
  industrial entities. The gaps need to be filled
  if you are looking to beat seasonality. The
  company that you outsource is expected to have
  access to this kind of information. Theyll offer
  you accurate and timely industrial news that you
  can use to focus on demand and to overcome
  seasonality. Theyll also help you rearrange your
  products depending on current demand.

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Final Thoughts

• When it comes to managing warehousing
  problems, its irrefutable that you need to
  outsource. From the acceptance of the shipment to
  the dispatch of the same, you need all the
  professional help that you can get to ensure
  productivity and efficiency. You can use the
  above guide as a starting point to address some
  of the issues that apply to your warehousing
  business.
• Reliable Transport Link understands the
  value of warehousing and distribution in the
  supply chain and has recently introduced these
  services to cater for the supply chain needs of
  their clientele. They offer any kind of cargo
  storagefrom heavy cargo, small cargo, to
  hazardous materials or dangerous goods. Whats
  more, their warehousing facilities are fully
  secured all the time by guards and CCTV security
  system. For more information on warehousing
  services, feel free to contact them at
  warehousing_at_GoReliable.ca.

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The End

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