When it comes to warehouse management, the right equipment goes hand in hand with a plan and process for organizing and keeping track of inventory and other materials. With our decades of experience in the material handling industry, our professionals have assessed and assisted hundreds of warehouses over the years and have seen for ourselves how crucial warehouse management is for streamlining operations, improving efficiency, and minimizing errors. Here are our top 4 warehouse management tips:
1. Plan a layout for all materials
A well-optimized layout will help you best utilize your space and keep operations running seamlessly and efficiently. Storage utilization for all items needs to be addressed, including shipping, crating, and packaging supplies, in addition to inventory. Considerations also need to be made for large or awkwardly-shaped items.
A few more tips:
Design the layout to minimize unnecessary movement and transportation within the warehouse.- Place the fastest moving and most in-demand inventory in an accessible area, or closest to the ship dock or ship center, to save employees time on retrieving items.
- Implement a logical storage system to group similar items together.
- Use vertical space efficiently with mezzanines or high shelves.
Design the layout to minimize unnecessary movement and transportation within the warehouse.Having a system for items based on their popularity will help create both efficiencies and a safer operation overall. Western Storage & Handling can help analyze your warehouse layout and develop an efficient system that maximizes productivity. Contact us today for a free evaluation >>
2. Maintaining a clean and orderly warehouse
Having a clean, decluttered and organized warehouse is essential to maintaining efficiency and safety. An organized warehouse layout ensures that items are stored logically and can be easily located, reducing the time spent searching for products.
Our recommendations: 
- Keep a close eye on old inventory and other trash and make sure these items are discarded as needed. This will prevent any mix-ups with expired or unwanted inventory and prevent clutter from slowing down operations.
- Create efficient picking paths to assist in faster order fulfillment, and to increase overall warehouse productivity.
- Optimized space utilization to allow for better use of available space. Proper shelving, stacking, and storage solutions help maximize storage capacity and prevent wasted space.
- Utilize all vertical spaces, including end caps and over dock receiving doors, to reduce clutter and keep workspaces clean. For example: Stack shipping supplies or unused pallet on end caps or on pallet racks framing dock receiving doors (pictured).
Learn more about our material handling services >>
3. Utilize a quality Warehouse Management System (WMS) to help you understand your inventory
Using a good management system will reduce the likelihood of errors in inventory
management, ensure accurate counts, and minimize discrepancies. We recommend a system that can provide real-time visibility into inventory management, order fulfillment, and overall logistics. WMS plays a crucial role in streamlining warehouse processes, leading to overall efficiency as well as better customer service in the form of fast, accurate processing, as well as compliance with industry regulations and standards.
4. Call us today for a free evaluation of your warehouse
Our Sales Manager will evaluate your warehouse layout and the operations required (including dry, cooler or freezer storage), provide AutoCad drawings of the facility for optimal execution, and complete an estimate to install or reconfigure pallet racking, conveyors, or storage platforms to meet their need — all free of charge! Give us a call at 303-937-8376 or find your area Sales Manager here. We look forward to speaking with you!
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Serving Colorado, Eastern Wyoming and Western Nebraska
We have both Denver and Colorado Springs locations!
DENVER OFFICE
1630 West Evans Ave, unit L
Denver, Colorado 80110
Phone: 303-937-8376
COLORADO SPRINGS OFFICE
1880 Office Club Pointe
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Phone: 719-272-8253