The holidays are here and your warehouse is probably in full swing for the holiday season. Chances are you have some much-deserved vacation time coming up at the end of the year to spend with your friends and family. When the New Year rolls around, you’ll be thinking about the things you want to improve about yourself in 2017. But when you return to work in 2017, what will your resolutions be for your warehouse? It needs some resolutions, too. Here are some ideas to help make your warehouse better than ever in the coming year.

Resolve to get your inventory management under control.

Too much inventory on the shelves is wasted money. Too little is making your customers wait. How do you strike the right balance for inventory control? Resolve to figure it out and implement controls and processes in the New Year that can help you maximize the profits of your warehouse. If you aren’t sure where to begin, our warehouse consultants can help with inventory analysis, slotting advice, and much more.

Resolve to improve your warehouse safety records.

Safety is important in the warehouse, not only for your team but for profits and the overall success of your company. How was your safety record in 2016? If it was less than your best, focus on improving it next year. Retraining staff on best practices can be a good place to start. Start scheduling training sessions for after the New Year when everyone is back at work.

Resolve to speed up picking times.

The faster your crews can pick an order, the faster it can get out the door and the happier your customers will be. Pick times should be closely monitored to see if there is any room for improvement. Our warehouse consultants can help you find ways to speed up your picking process. From gravity shelving to bins to slotting and more, we can find new methods and tools to help your crew get orders out quickly.

Resolve to reduce human error.

If error rates were plaguing you in 2016, this is a great area to focus on improving next year. Human error is inevitable, but it can be reduced. This makes your customers happy, too, and improves the reputation of your company. Reduce error with new shelving systems that make product names and numbers clear or by implementing more automation to make human error a thing of the past.

Resolve to review your process.

The New Year is a great time to take a look at the processes you’ve been using in your warehouse and determine if they are still the right way to do things. If a process can be improved, do it. If it’s no longer needed, throw it out. There should be nothing sacred about a process apart from reviewing it. This can help your warehouse stay agile and ready to change with the times!

Need help to keep your New Year’s resolution in your warehouse? Contact our warehouse consultants for help. We’ll help you find the equipment, tools, and strategies that you need in order to make your warehouse better than ever in 2017.