Auditing and Inspection season are upon us. Head into it confident, organized and recalibrated from the holiday rush with these seven essential warehouse spring cleaning tips.
Schedule Smartly
When it comes to scheduling your big cleaning event, make sure you select a time when the warehouse will be mostly empty like late evening or holiday weekend. The goal is to get organized, not to disrupt your operations. Over estimate the amount of time you’ll need based on the size of your warehouse so that you’re fully prepared.
Force Action
You likely ended up with excess product based, at least in part, on indecision. Not knowing what to do with certain items in the moment forced them to eventually get pushed back into deeper darker recesses of your warehouse. Squash procrastination by outfitting each pallet or rack in your storage solution with a “purge by” deadline. If items aren’t addressed within the allotted time, dispose of them accordingly. It’ll help ensure all product has an appropriate shelf life.
Bring in a Dumpster
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Knowing that a major cleansing is ahead, it’s a good idea to rent a dumpster in advance. Having it as a line item in your overall budget will also increase the likelihood of immediate action. Make sure your team knows where and for how long the dumpster will be onsite.
Reorganize
Consider your current warehouse storage design. Could it use an update? You might be able to drastically increase your storage capacity simply by moving your storage racks, bringing in additional pallet racks, or adjusting your beam levels. The strategy is twofold. It will also force your team to physically handle and subsequently evaluate the vast majority of products in your warehouse.
Consider a Move
Even the threat of a warehouse relocation will bring you face to face with your storage capacity and product load. Planning mode alone is enough to light a fire under your analytics team.
Rent an Industrial Sweeper
Scheduling a day to have the floors buffed and deep cleaned will ensure dust build up is kept to a minimum over the course of the year. It’ll also force staff to have their sections organized and product off the floor before the sweeper runs past.
Schedule Routine Check Ups
While your warehouse is prepping for spring, use this time to check that all your key material handling equipment like conveyor systems and dock equipment is scheduled for a routine maintenance check. It’s a safe and efficient way to build it in automatically.
In the end, while it’s probably true that your warehouse will never be as clean and organized as the front office, it still plays a critical role in the success of your company. Done right these annual spring cleanings will make your next audit or inspection a walk in the park!