Entrepreneur Resources Your source for small business information
It’s interesting how most often, the areas that offer the most utility and daily practical use are those we look to improve least. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to put off their bathroom renovation until everything else is completed, despite this being one of the most essential rooms in the house. The same could be said for business logistic centers, warehouse, and inventory storage areas.
Well, your business is no doubt different, hence you reading this post. Now that you’ve curated enough profits to reinvest in your business, you may look to expand your warehouse once again, improving the volume and safety of your daily stock management. Not only is this a great springboard for expanding the rest of your logistical network.
But where should those profits first flow? Let’s consider some suggestions:
Safety, Safety, Safety
Statistically, inventory stock rooms and warehouses encounter the most injuries each year nationwide. It’s not hard to see how the maneuvering of heavy crates, materials, and machines can cause issues. That’s why reinvesting in safety equipment, lighting, protocols, training, and functional utilities like shipping edge protectors can be so helpful. This not only protects your people (most important), but also ensures conditions are right to prevent inventory damage.
Install Energy-Efficient Solutions
Improving energy efficiency allows you to run your warehouse more cheaply while also improving your sustainable measures. For example, having motion-sensitive lights (that can be overridden to turn on all the time), can help stock rooms remain dark when not in use. You can also invest in thermostat checks to avoid overheating, use radiant heating to limit costs, and install renewable energy such as solar on the rooftops, which serves as a good long-term solution.
Expand Loading Dock Capacity
Investing in widening your entrance doors (perhaps to retractable folding options) can help you accept more freight into your loading bay. Investing in staff to properly ensure items are inspected, categorized and moved safely will enhance the general flow of goods inside and outside of your business. You may also renovate the parking areas or access points for trucks to enter, ensuring that safety and worker protection are at the forefront of your priority list. Moreover, investing in security around the loading bay such as with restructured fencing can make a big difference in the long run.
Upgrade Inventory Management Software
Without good software, it’s easy for human errors to cause problems within your firm. That’s not something you have to live with and accept, you can make certain these functions are correctly optimized depending on daily loads. Inventory management software that can be handled remotely, used to scan in and track transport numbers and product codes, and even integrate security management such as sign-in accountability measures can help you limit wastage, ensure the right amount of people are working the floor each day, and curate contingencies for backup events, such as when you need to purchase from alternate suppliers or refuel your mobile fleet.
With this advice, you’ll have invested in the right resources for your best inventory management solutions.
