How To Cut Down On Incorrect Warehouse Shipments
Cutting down on incorrect warehouse shipments is a priority for a lot of companies. But making it happen is technically challenging. Many brands find that they make a lot of investment in improving their systems, but don’t make the progress that they want.
That’s where this article can help. If you have found yourself in this position and are wondering if there’s anything you can do to cut down on inaccuracies, you’ll learn how to do it here.
Improve Inventory Management
The most obvious first step is to improve inventory management with AI warehouse automation. These tools are becoming more sophisticated every year and can deal with this like automatic stock updates and reduced manual errors.
Many of these systems promise that you can reach specific benchmarks after you implement them, like 99% shelving accuracy to reduce the risk of picking errors. You should compare the promises made by the software to what you actually achieve in the real world.
Standardize Document Processing
Another thing you’ll want to do is standardize your document processing. Again, this helps you with your backend and makes the entire operation so much more reliable over time.
The best approaches automate pick lists and send them out to workers using handheld devices. These guide workers and can check consistency via scanning.
These solutions are also useful when you want to insert quality control into multiple stages and settings. Many of these systems can double-check packages before sealing them and shipping them off to wherever they’re needed.
Enhance Verification Systems
Another approach to cutting down on incorrect warehouse shipments is to double up the verification you use. Getting a second employee to check the shipment can be helpful in a variety of settings, so it is well worth exploring.
You want to use weight checks where possible to verify the content of the parcel. The weigh-in should correspond to the known weight of the parcel.
Sometimes, you will find that there are discrepancies between the package weight and the expected weight. If you find this, you may have to open the package, check everything, and then close it again before shipping. If there is a problem with the stored weights on the computer, you may need to change these.
Optimize Your Warehouse Layout
You could also cut down on incorrect shipments by considering your warehouse layout. Improving this can also lead to additional benefits and reduce the risk of packing errors, which can be a problem. When employees know where everything is with clear labels and codes, they are less likely to make mistakes.
Train Staff
Finally, you can cut down on incorrect shipments by training staff. Helping them gain the skills for handling multiple roles allows for more redundancy inside the team, and more manual cross-checking to be performed.
If you can incentivize staff accuracy, that can also help. Rewarding staff for doing what you want to do can be more effective than punishing them for the things you don’t want them to do.
FAQs:
What causes incorrect warehouse shipments?
Common causes include poor inventory management, lack of automation, human error during picking or packing, and unclear warehouse layouts.
How can warehouse automation help reduce errors?
Automation reduces manual input and human error by guiding workers through tasks and verifying orders using barcode scanning and real-time inventory data.
What is the best way to verify outgoing shipments?
Using dual verification methods like barcode scanning and weight checks ensures packages match order details before they leave the warehouse.
How important is staff training in warehouse accuracy?
Extremely important. Properly trained staff understand the systems, follow protocols, and are better equipped to spot and correct errors before they escalate.
Can warehouse layout really impact shipment accuracy?
Yes, an optimized warehouse layout makes it easier for staff to find the correct items quickly, reducing picking mistakes and improving workflow efficiency.
