In the distribution center, active floor management can assist the managers to improve performance in 3 main ways. Be sure to walk the floor on a regular basis to stay abreast of issues.
It helps to identify which workers might need more training by having regular presence on management on the floor. These frequent visits could be used to see who may be the next to be promoted to a managerial position; it shows you consider the floor and all goings on there and the workers to be vital to the overall operation and really essential; lastly, you could address problems as they arise.
Determine the Utilization of Space: To begin with, you should determine the cube utilization within you workplace, making sure to check how much empty space is located near the ceiling. Implementing higher racks and narrow aisles and specific forklifts that operate in those types of environments can really increase how you move and store materials. What might not seem like a lot of wasted space can translate into thousands of extra dollars and square feet with some adjustments.
Check for Obsolete Inventory: If you see a SKU or stock-keeping unit has not moved in more than a year, it is definitely consuming valuable space. Moreover, if you have lots of half-full pallets stored or staged in aisles, you are also not using valuable space to its full potential. By re-organizing existing stock and doing an inventory overhaul, much room could be made to accommodate objects that are moving faster.
How is the Product Flow? Take the time to trace how exactly product flows in your facility regularly. Check to see if the flow is sequential and logical. Around 60% of direct labor within the warehouse is allotted to traveling from place to place. You can probably have less personnel finishing the same amount of work by being aware of product flow. Being able to move personnel to finish various other tasks instead of having employees doubled up moving things would get more work out of the same amount of employees.
The order filling method should be reviewed and if it is identified that a variety of SKUs are mixed-up in one location. If orders do not need objects of this mix, pickers are wasting time. Another huge waste of time is having the same SKU located in multiple locations in the warehouse. Get the employees used of going to a specific place for every particular item so that they are just looking in one area and not traveling all over the warehouse checking more than one location for the same item. These small changes could greatly enhance the overall efficiency within your warehouse.