It should be noted that warehouse management is a process that requires a considerate approach to handling commodities and orientation at work processes reduction. The basic criteria that are essential in any method of warehousing include the prevention of safety incidents, quality errors, and efficient and smart storing of items. More importantly, all the operations should be aimed at increasing the productivity and speeding up the shipping process. The purpose of this paper is to consider the particular ways of achieving efficiency and effectiveness in warehouse management.
Effectiveness and Efficiency
Effective warehouse management assumes a clear and accurate accounting of the goods and the availability of reliable data on warehouse stocks. It can be achieved by means of a Lean approach to storing goods (Behind the scenes of Amazon warehouse 2015). This approach assumes that it is necessary to identify those factors that lead to delays in work and cause large stocks (Behind the scenes of Amazon warehouse 2015).
To apply this system, it is necessary to review the documents, tools, and commodities and remove all the unnecessary items. Then, it is useful to distribute the items in such a way that it will be convenient to work with them and maintain the same order constantly. In addition, it is essential to develop standards and work instructions that will help maintain the orderliness. The most important aspect is constant monitoring of the implementation of procedures in accordance with the sequence (Behind the scenes of Amazon warehouse 2015).
Thus, the core of this approach lies within five phases, which are sorting, ordering, eliminating wastes, standardization, and continuous improvement. The effectiveness of this approach to warehouse management can be reflected in the fact that a quality and functional working environment is formed without unnecessary wastes that hinder the productivity and successful shipping.
Another approach to the effective management of warehousing is the Kanban system. With its help, it is possible to monitor all the stored products and commodities in the company (FW Warehousing 2014). The aim of this management system is to store only the necessary items in the required quantity and at the right time. A card with the essential information (where the order came from and where it needs to be moved) should indicate each commodity (FW Warehousing 2014). With this method, all processes become maximally efficient.
Efficiency is an important element of effective warehouse management. The Kanban system can be characterized by a considerable level of efficiency as space and time, as well as workforce, are used efficiently (FW Warehousing 2014). It is important to make sure that items are stored efficiently, and no space is wasted. Specific structures and machinery can help the warehouse facilities to store lots of items.
Moreover, space should be used efficiently at different stages starting with accepting products and packing them and ending with the delivery to the shipment area. For example, the Kanban system is efficient as no extra motion is necessary as items are placed in areas that follow the flow of products. The items are accepted, then picked up by the corresponding employees who pack and transport them to the areas of storage and delivery. It is noteworthy that the use of codes and efficient information sharing system contributes to efficiency as there can be no errors or delays since all items’ flow is easily traced.
It is necessary to note that effective management is vital to the success of a warehouse as it ensures high key performance indicators. For instance, effective management results in a high level of productivity as space and time are used efficiently. It also leads to a significant decrease in safety incidents and quality errors as the areas are properly developed for different types of tasks. The number of accidents is minimal as the areas where machinery is utilized are quite isolated. Clearly, these results positively affect the overall performance of the warehouse. Items are not lost or damaged and can be traced easily at different stages.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be summarized that the concept of Lean and the Kanban system allow optimizing and standardizing the management of a warehouse. Both strategies tend to eliminate the redundant processes to speed up shipping. According to the first method, it is necessary to involve all employees to achieve coordinated work and in order to determine the processes that are unnecessary and interfere with successful management. The use of the second approach can assist in achieving measurable results and accelerating all processes in the warehouse. With the help of Kanban system, the company will be able to use the warehousing space more functionally, reduce the required inventory, and improve employee productivity.
Reference List
Behind the scenes of Amazon warehouse. 2015. online video, Fox 13 News, Tampa. Web.
FW Warehousing: The Kanban system explained. 2014, online video, FW Warehousing, Kansas City. Web.