What issues do you have in your supply chain? Do you struggle with filling orders quickly? Do you have too many picking and shipping mistakes? There are hundreds of frustrating reasons your warehouse may not be running efficiently. Whatever the issues may be, it’s time to learn how to eliminate those pain points.
A company based in the UK, ClarusWMS, lists several pain points that can plague any warehouse or distribution center. They mention things from communication issues, to reporting issues, to warehouse layout disorganization. To that list, we also add inventory management issues. So, if you have problems like these, you’re not alone.
To start this pain-point elimination, identify the issues. It may sound basic but knowing what the actual problems are in your warehouse is the start to finding a solution.
Some issues may be very apparent, so start there and identify the few you want to attack right now. Then, start to compile and analyze the data connected to those issues. Doing so will show you what needs to be done to actually fix the problem.
For example, if you have employees crossing paths too often with machinery and lifts in their picking process, you know that there may be safety and time issues.
Once you identify the pain points you want to address, pull the data connected to those points. When you find the right data, analyze it. Don’t just go through the motions like in your weekly or monthly reporting, really dig into the information. Take some time to synthesize the numbers and come up with actionable insights.
In using the same issue as before, look at how long it takes employees to pick certain items. How often does this happen? What paths are they using? How much does it slow down the pickers? Does the length of the racking aisles make a difference? Is picking slow simply because it’s difficult for employees to find the items? See what the data tells you.
If you analyzed your data well, you should have a good idea of what solutions you can use to attack your pain points. Part of the problem supply chains face is deciding which pain points are worth putting time and effort into fixing.
Now that you’ve made it this far in the process, decide to eliminate your selected pain point and do it! It’s easier said than done but write down the goal you have to eliminate it and create a plan. Your data points and insights should give you an idea of what resources you’ll need to make this new supply-chain dream a reality.
If you don’t feel like you have enough information or data to make these decisions and changes, reach out to us, we would love to talk to you about your project.
You may also want to look into supply-chain automation software to help you eliminate your pain points. Without access to an effective manufacturing planning software to guide you and automate inventory control processes, managing inventory can be very challenging.
If this is your case, WarehouseOS® would be a great solution for you. It has inventory control capabilities that allow you to automate processing based on previous purchasing trends. It gives you the data you need to not only identify pain points but also to solve other problems at the same time. With an automated inventory control system, for example, inventory control becomes less of a pain point and more of an asset.
Ultimately the success of your company is found by maintaining a loyal customer base. Eliminating your pain points will help you do just that. Find the issues you're having and do something about them using this three-step process.
Don’t forget to reach out to talk to us about what you’d like to accomplish. We’d love to help. Visit WarehouseOS® to learn more about how it can help you eliminate your pain points.
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