A successful production process depends on productive employees. Any supervisor can keep tabs on employees. But employees who stay motivated when the boss is not around are worth their weight in stock options. Employees should be GIVEN reasons, good ones, for maintaining productivity during their whole shift.

Set a minimum standard with employees, and then motivate them with an incentive-based pay program, in, say, the picking and packing department. If they stay at the minimum expectation, they get the minimum pay; but when they go above and beyond the minimum they are financially rewarded. This will release supervisors from the onerous task of breathing over their employees shoulders.

Pick the right teammates

Warehouse production efficiency is not a solo achievement. It takes teamwork from others, such as distributors, supplies, and other contractors, who help you create and ship out your products. Choose these teammates wisely, as your own bottom line depends on their ability to get along with you and you to get along with them.

Choosing a supplier because they are the cheapest is not good strategy, if they have issues with timeliness in shipping or quality control. Remember the old business adage: You get what you pay for.

Customize your warehouse software

The right technology boosts warehouse productivity. This is especially true of your warehousing management software suite. You’ll want software that specifically addresses your particular needs, such as seasonal product procurement or time-sensitive inventory such as foodstuffs.

Your Fishbowl consultants at Brandow Consulting can help you with your ERP software so it keeps track of inventory, shipments, supplies, and orders. That way you’ll always know what’s on hand and where it’s at in the warehouse. You won’t be bushwhacked by running low on stock without lots of prior notification. Delivery gaps will be a thing of the past.

Production engineering

What kind of savings would your company see if you could lower inventory to cover three weeks instead of four? Or two weeks instead of three?

A firm emphasis on production engineering can help you lower inventory holds. Lower inventory means better efficiency and more ease in delivery. It defeats those warehouse gremlins that constantly look for ways to misplace and damage inventory. You may not be Amazon.com with a robotic prep system in place, but there’s no reason you can’t tighten things up with the latest technology and software so your inventory pipeline never slows or clogs up.