The busy Christmas period is well and truly upon us, meaning warehouses are going into overdrive with the significant increase in demand. Warehouse managers now need to consider how they are handling their stock, staff and operations, in order to thrive during the Christmas rush. This will help ensure the timely delivery of goods, and is essential in creating positive customer relationships.
Here are our 4 tips for surviving the Christmas rush:
Review the layout of the warehouse
Without an organised warehouse, you can expect chaos to follow. For greater efficiency, reviewing how and where inventory is stored is important. For example, placing the best selling products in an easily accessible place can reduce labour time and allow for a smoother process. An organised warehouse can significantly minimise error and time wasted searching for products.
Stock accurately
It’s not enough just to be adequately stocked, you need to have the correct stock to keep up with demand. Missed sales opportunities, unhappy customers and high costs can be avoided by not under-stocking or overstocking your warehouse.
So how do you know if you’ve stocked accurately? Investing in forecasting software that can analyse sales and supplier data, and identify useful trends in customer buying behaviour will greatly assist. It takes the guesswork out of inventory management, ensuring you meet Christmas order demands.
Maintain your equipment
Failing to conduct regular maintenance on all equipment could lead to disaster during the Christmas rush. Frequent equipment inspections and maintenance will allow you to address any mechanical issues. Poor functioning or broken down equipment can greatly impact warehouse operations and cause severe delays in processes.
Expand and train your team
Without an adequate number of staff, you won’t be able to keep up with the increased demand. Hiring staff can be a lengthy and costly process, but labour hire agencies such as IWF Staff offer a solution to this problem. We are able to find suitable workers quickly and easily, allowing warehouses to expand their team at short notice.
When looking at staff for the Christmas period, it’s important to look not only at numbers, but also at appropriate training. While you may have the numbers to keep up with demand, staff aren’t going to be able to work productively or autonomously if they haven’t been properly trained.
If you’re looking for extra hands during the busy Christmas period, IWF Staff can match you with the right people for the job. Contact us today on 1300 493 782!
