The holiday season is a busy time in warehouses, with some companies making up to 50% of their annual profit in the final quarter of the year. If you run a seasonal business, it’s especially important to ensure your warehouse is ready for the inevitable influx of products around Christmas.
Here are a few tips on how to get your warehouse ready for this season’s holiday rush:
Review Your Warehouse Layout
Before the holiday surge, it’s important to ensure your shipping, receiving, and inventory areas are able to handle the incoming load. If you don’t think your system will work, it’s worth rearranging your warehouse to maximized storage space and allow for more efficient movement. Consider traffic patterns, placement of shelves and containers, and travel time for retrieving and depositing items. To save space and improve efficiency, you may need to consolidate pallets, add pallet racking to the building, and rent temporary additional storage.
Ensure Your Workers Are Ready
Employee safety is one of the most important considerations when preparing for the holiday rush. Ensure your employees are properly briefed on safety procedures and first aid, and have the right training to operate heavy machinery. If the workload is too much for your current staff, consider hiring skilled temporary workers. All employees should wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in good condition.
Keep Your Warehouse Clean
An organized, clean warehouse is the key to a successful holiday season. Clean any boxes, garbage, or excess products off the floor, and ensure the floor is clear of all tripping hazards, like wires, pallets, or ropes. A clean warehouse can significantly improve efficiency, and help free up space for incoming products.
Consider Raising Warehouse Storage Fees
To prevent overstocking during the holiday months, you may want to consider hiking up the price on storage fees from December to January. This price raise will prevent merchants from storing products on a “just in case” basis, preventing excess inventory, and saving you time and money.
Takes Notes for Next Year
After the stress of the holiday season is finally over, it’s easy to forget about what went wrong and what went right. A smart way to prepare for the next holiday season is to jot down notes and comments as they occur. Come next Christmas, you’ll be thankful you took the time to record last season’s challenges.
For most businesses, Christmas is one of the busiest times of year. Although the hike in productivity can be challenging, it’s manageable if you are ready for it.
At the Material Handler, we are passionate about creating effective warehouse and storage solutions. For more information about our services, get in touch with us today.
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