The organisation of warehouses is essential, especially for small businesses, because it is responsible for keeping the supply chain intact and running with efficiency.
And that starts with maintaining your inventory levels to meet demand. When you’re able to properly organise your warehouse, you’ll find it much easier to search, pick, pack and ship the right product to the right customer, while providing quality customer service and fast shipping times.
Efficiency inventory management is crucial because businesses today are dealing with huge competitors like Amazon that has expensive resources and large distribution hubs to ship to customers quicker. With that said, small businesses can still optimise their warehouse space and get products out the door efficiently. Even with limited resources, the one advantage small businesses have is the ability to modify processes a lot quicker as compared to larger organisations.
Let’s explore some of the tips below to help you maximise the productivity of your warehouse.
Be wise in deciding the layout
Settling for a good layout at your warehouse will significantly improve your efficiency and solve the majority of your problems with the warehouse organization. When storing your items, keep those that are moving fast closer to you while those that move less frequently should be stored towards the back. It would help if you also structured your warehouse in categories such that items that are alike or those that are used for similar purposes are stored together.
If you’re still in the search for the ideal warehouse, our property at Tuas Vista offers warehouses and factory spaces for rent in a variety of sizes. With plans for Tuas to be Singapore’s next mega container port, it has a strategic location that is ideal for businesses dealing in areas of logistics, as well as engineering and construction activities. This six-storey industrial building is suitable for industrial and office use, and has easy access to the nearest MRT station at Tuas West Rd for daily commute. Warehouse units range from 50 to 1,432 sqft, fitted with air-con lights and windows for selected units. The smallest unit can also be doubled up as an additional storage space. For factory/workshop needs, there is an open space unit at 3,821 sqft to support your operational needs. Other features include 3 loading bays, 2 cargo-lifts, in-house canteen, proximity to Tuas checkpoint, season parking and basement & open space carpark.
Consider efficiency when storing your items
In most cases, businesses may face limited floor space for their warehouse. Therefore, maximising on the available floor space is essential to store as many products as possible. Your storage strategy should be both vertical and horizontal to utilise every available space. Where possible, you can use storage bins as they also double up to protect your products from damage.
Ease of access to products should be your priority
When organising your warehouse, items should be easy to locate and pick when they are needed. A lot of time and hassle is saved when your warehouse employees can identify the items easily and quickly. When items can always be found in the right spot, employees won’t have to waste time wandering the warehouse in search for the product.
Ease of access also means that the packaging area should be located closer to the docking area to make loading easier. With picking and shipping more quickly done, it gets orders out the door to customers faster.
Adopt the latest technology
Technology has significantly improved the efficiency of doing business. When you have enough capital to invest, automation can play a significant role in your supply chain to boost productivity.
The process of picking, packing and shipping can be improved, such as with the use of barcode scanning technology. Warehouse staff can scan items during the pick process to identify and verity the product while sorting them into the respective bin and shelf locations. This reduces the element of human error and helps to keep track of inventory in real-time, so you’ll know what you have on hand to fulfill customers’ orders.
Review your operations frequently
The only way to know whether or not your warehouse is working optimally is to review your operations as regularly as you can. You can then use the findings to improve the areas that need additional attention. Identifying strengths and weaknesses in your business can also help you strategise on how to expand.
For a bigger warehouse space, our property at 38 Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park offers warehouses for rent ranging from 4,903 to 6,225 sqft – bare with windows. Comprising of multi-storey buildings, this property is one of the latest refurbished projects that offer a corporate frontage. It is also designed to service consumers with in-house offerings such as self-storage, adhoc marketplace and a well-equipped event hall rental. There is feeder bus service to the nearest MRT station at Ang Mo Kio, and more bus services are available within walking distance. Our subsidiary, is also located within the premises to provide storage and work spaces for rent in Ang Mo Kio, suitable for start-ups, e-commerce and small businesses. Other facilities include in-house canteen, 4 passenger lifts, 3 cargo lifts, and season parking for cars & heavy vehicles.
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