One of the major fears of any business enterprise or organization is damaged goods or pieces of equipment. This not only reduces the overall cost of the product but also reduces the credibility of the brand or organization.
To keep up with the constant flow of demand and supply, many businesses use warehouses to secure and stock their goods, facilitating shipping or delivery whenever the need arises. While warehouses are the first step to good business continuity, certain warehousing mistakes can sometimes become a headache that can cost much more than imagined.
With the threat of losses in mind, the good news is that once business owners can identify what these common mistakes are and tackle them squarely, most of their issues are gone and they can finally conduct their business without fear.
For proactive businesses looking to stay on top of their game at all times, here’s a detailed list of warehousing mistakes that could damage your goods and equipment:
1. Overloading
With the mindset of getting the most out of the space available, most warehouses are often overpacked. The shelves and racks used in storage have weight capacities that must not be exceeded. Unfortunately, many warehouses often use sub-standard shelving and storage materials that aren’t strong enough to hold the average weight. In the case of perishable goods, an overloaded warehouse equals poor ventilation and excess heat, which could lead to the goods decaying fast. Again, an overpacked warehouse is more prone to widespread fire than a spaced one.
To tackle this grave mistake, the first step is to the stock based on capacity. Although many business owners would frown at this, the saying that prevention is better than cure comes in handy to salvage the situation and serve as a warning. Again, warehouses can invest in quality stocking equipment like those from stack-it that are durable, sturdy, and come with many features to facilitate storage of all types of goods.
2. Poor Organization
In addition to overloading warehouses, another prominent mistake is the terrible organization of these goods alongside poor labeling. Many times, goods are damaged and forgotten in warehouses because they weren’t stocked properly and they’re kept in places that workers couldn’t remember.
Properly optimizing your warehouse space would make the overall maneuverability and functionality better. Some ways to go about this include using signs to direct workers to where goods are stored, as well as storing products based on color, shape, size, or other peculiar features. This will make accessing them for delivery easier and more effective. This, in turn, would reduce damage to the goods and also reduce cases of products being forgotten in warehouses due to inaccessibility or problems with locating such products in the warehouse.
3. Poor Lighting
Another very prominent cause of accidents and mistakes in warehouses is bad visibility from poor lighting conditions. Dimly lit warehouses make carrying the wrong stocks possible, as well as causing unwanted accidents with forklifts and other equipment, collisions, and other costly errors.
By investing in good lighting equipment, you are not only making visibility much better within your warehouse but also ensuring the safety of your goods and your workers in the long run.
4. Unsuitable Equipment
Having the wrong pieces of equipment for the wrong tasks is a common mistake that many businesses make when running their warehouses. Many business owners often hold back when purchasing or acquiring the necessary warehouse equipment and leave the employees to make do with what they have. This method is ineffective as certain tasks can’t be fully executed without the proper equipment. The same goes for the maintenance of this equipment, which is often skipped or done partially, leaving the employees to manage partially or badly functioning tools.
Luckily, for those who aren’t keen on purchasing these pieces of machinery required, some companies loan them out and also charge themselves with servicing, thereby reducing the stress on the business owner.
5. Not Weatherproofing The Warehouse
One of the causes of large-scale damage to products and machinery is a warehouse that can’t survive serious weather conditions. A warehouse that’s not weatherproof can cause cases of leakages in the roof when there’s a heavy downpour, flooding that can destroy electronics or roof removal due to strong winds.
Other situations like overheating or melting of electronic equipment when the temperature is high and the formation of molds on products due to a damp environment are results of a warehouse that isn’t weatherproof. All of these can severely damage products and equipment, leading to irreparable losses in the long run.
Regularly weatherproofing your warehouse will save you from huge losses. This ensures that both your products and employees are safe at all times.
Conclusion
To have a successful business, you need to understand the laws of demand and supply. At the same time, you must have an effectively functioning warehouse devoid of issues that could ruin your supply chains. By taking notes and tackling some of the most common warehousing problems, you’re not only saving your products but also protecting the survival of your business.
