
3 strategies for SMEs to optimise their warehouse
28th May 2015

Small and medium-sized businesses will often find themselves investing in a warehouse, especially if they are moving a lot of products quickly and need a centralised place to manage their stock.
While a warehouse can make great sense here, it also requires a lot of planning to get right. Poorly organised and managed stock is going to create significant problems further down the track that can impede a business's growth.
To help, here's a breakdown of three strategies companies can use to optimise their warehouse:
1) Develop a best-practice guide for staff
Staff are an often-overlooked part of optimising a warehouse's operations. However, they are also among the most valuable ways to save time and money.
Let's say each of your staff have their own approach to moving stock with a forklift, with some taking longer than others. Establishing a best-practice guide to make this journey as short as possible and training your staff to follow a set pattern will save a lot of time in the long run.
2) Integrate the right software
Modern warehouses have truly gone digital, with major companies relying on a whole range of technology to run their warehouses well. SMEs can make use of these same strategies, by investigating these options and finding a solution that matches their needs.
A company's accounting software, for example, can be complemented with services specifically for a warehouse, making it easy to store, track and locate goods as necessary.
3) Create a warehouse within a warehouse
For SMEs that are ready to take their services to the next level, one option is to consider developing a warehouse within a warehouse. This involves establishing which products are moving the quickest and positioning them near the loading bay as a dedicated high-movement area.
This concentrated area of activity will cut down costs and transport time, while the rest of your warehouse is used solely for storing slower-moving goods. Of course, adopting this strategy will also depend on the size of your warehouse, the types of products you are moving and how concentrated demand is around a few core products.
By following these steps, it won't be long before an SME has a warehouse that is running smoothly and adding value to their operations.

Signup for Updates and our Newsletter
Get the latest news and updates on how your business can grow with the power and flexibility of ABM.
