In the fast-paced world of warehousing and fulfillment, stressed-out managers are faced with demanding customers, high order volumes, tight deadlines, and a tight labor market, so improving worker productivity is vital. Fortunately, you can boost the productivity of your workforce quickly, without having to spend a lot of money. For example, here are 10 practical ways you can enhance productivity in your warehouse or fulfillment center in just one day:
1. Equip and Organize Workstations Efficiently – Efficiency starts at the workstation. (This might be a cart, pallet jack, or truck for mobile workers in the warehouse.) Standardize all workstations so that the right tools and materials are in the right locations, within easy reach: scanners, tablets, computers, printers, scales, pens and markers, packing materials and tape, utility knives, tape measures, flashlights, labels, paperwork and forms, gloves, cleaning supplies, etc. Declutter work areas and provide the necessary ergonomic adjustments to reduce strain and improve comfort. This simple step will cut down on time spent searching for tools and materials, allowing your workers to get their work done more productively.
2. Slot Inventory Efficiently in Picking Areas – Think about your kitchen. You probably keep the things you use most often in the most convenient locations: drinking glasses in the cabinet next to the refrigerator, paper towels beside the sink, etc. And you probably keep that ice-cream maker you use once a year up on the top shelf of your pantry in the garage. Apply the same logic in your warehouse. Place your high-velocity (more popular) stock-keeping units (SKUs) up-front, close to packing and shipping areas, and place them in the “golden zone” between the knees and shoulders of order pickers. This will reduce travel and reach, allowing your pickers to access fast-moving SKUs more quickly, increasing order picking speeds and boosting productivity.
3. Implement Effective Visual Management – A well-organized warehouse is a productive warehouse. Use highly visible color coding to indicate specific zones and product categories. Post logical, easy-to-read signs and labels in strategic locations. Mark the floor with paint or tape to indicate aisles, staging lanes, work zones, restricted areas, and parking spaces for pallets, trucks, and carts. Effective visual management will reduce errors, improve efficiency, and enhance safety, resulting in better productivity.
4. Play Upbeat Music – Help your workers get their jam on. Boost their mood and morale with upbeat music. Studies show that lively, positive music creates an energetic atmosphere that enhances productivity. Choose music styles that appeal to your workers, but ensure that the volume doesn’t interfere with safety and effective communication. Playing the right tunes will lift spirits and increase work pace, contributing to a more productive environment.
5. Teach Supervisors to Be Coaches – If supervisors only monitor their workers passively, then productivity won’t improve. Train your supervisors not to be babysitters, but to be active coaches who actively train their team members. Establish an effective coaching program where supervisors work hands-on with each worker for at least one hour every month, providing praise for productive work and constructive feedback for needed improvement. Ensure that supervisors document these sessions on a chart so everyone can see improvement. Active, effective coaching will significantly improve worker skills and productivity.
6. Set Clear Goals for Your Team and Share Their Progress – As the saying goes, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” How would you know whether your favorite football team is doing well if the officials didn’t measure progress on the field and you didn’t know the score? So, set clear productivity goals for your teams every day. Use respected, industry-standard metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure your team’s progress (average orders, lines, units, cases, or pallets per hour, by function; average order cycle time; average dock-to-stock cycle time; fill rate; etc.). Display these goals and your team’s progress toward them on whiteboards or digital displays in prominent locations. This visual representation will keep your team aligned and accountable and encourage them to reach their targets each day.
7. Track and Share Objective Productivity Metrics –Your team’s overall productivity is a composite of your workers’ individual productivities. Objectively track the productivity of every worker by function (receiving, putaway, picking, packing, shipping, returns, cycle counting, etc.). Even simple spreadsheets can be used effectively for this purpose if you don’t have a warehouse management system (WMS) or labor management system (LMS) to provide the data. Sharing these metrics with your workforce every week will foster transparency and motivate them to improve.
8. Gamify the Work and Reward Top Players – Most people enjoy playing games, and when they do, they play to win. Use your productivity metrics to organize challenges between workers and functional teams to encourage healthy competition and create a culture of camaraderie and recognition. Find out what rewards or recognition motivate your workers – paid time off, lottery tickets, free lunches, gift cards, “Star Performer” t-shirts, or even choosing the music for the next week. In the breakroom, post weekly rankings of your workers by function. Recognize and reward top performers and coaches every week. This will encourage each worker to strive to improve their own individual performance.
9. Hold Daily Team Huddles – Effective team communication nurtures success. At the start of each shift, each coach should hold a five- to ten-minute huddle with their team. Review the day’s goals and expectations, praise good performers, and address any issues that need attention. Answer any questions, and then get to work. Start these huddles on-time when the team is expected to be on the job. Studies show that effective team huddles significantly boost productivity by ensuring everyone is aligned and motivated from the get-go.
10. Take Regular Gemba Walks – To see improvements in the warehouse, managers need to be present, not sitting in their offices all day. Walk through your entire warehouse at least twice a day at random times and observe activities. Greet workers – smile and get to know them. Hunt for “rattlesnakes” (anything that isn’t as it should be). Acknowledge and thank workers for jobs well done, but also look for inefficiencies and gently correct them. Gemba walks not only show that you care and are engaged but also help identify and address issues promptly, boosting overall productivity. And you could probably use the exercise.
Improving productivity in your warehouse doesn’t have to be costly or time-consuming. By implementing these 10 strategies, you can achieve significant results, and each of them can be implemented in just one day. Not only will you boost productivity, but you'll also cultivate a positive and engaging workplace culture. So, take the first step today and start transforming your warehouse!
Steve Hopper is Founder & Principal of Inviscid Consulting. Inviscid helps businesses drive down operating costs and boost service levels in their warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, and logistics operations. He can be reached at steve.hopper@inviscidconsulting.com or 404.832.5326.
This article originally appeared in the July/August, 2024 issue of PARCEL.
