Order picking – filling customers’ orders from the warehouse inventory – is estimated to account for half of the operational costs of a warehouse. By improving the order picking process, considerable financial savings can be made. A warehouse trolleys supplier can help to make order picking more efficient and cost-effective.
Customers, particularly those making online orders, expect their order to be dispatched quickly. Order picking that is slow and inaccurate creates customer dissatisfaction and causes reorder rates to decrease.
Many high street retailers, such as Joules and Crew Clothing, are surviving the downturn in high street sales by expanding their online operations. They know that the key to eCommerce success is speedy order processing and excellent customer service.
Making the warehouse trolley operators life easier
Most warehouses employ operators that push trolleys around the warehouses to take order items to packing stations. Improving this process makes the trolley operator’s life easier and improves their productivity.
Operators need the right trolleys for the type of goods being picked. Small items can be sorted into tote boxes, whereas large and heavy items require flatbed trolleys. No matter what type of trolley is used, it needs to be easily pushed and steered. Purchase trolleys with strong swivel casters so that they can be pushed with minimum effort.
The job of order picking can be tiring as it requires operators to walk several miles a day and lift heavy items onto trolleys. To save time and effort, store high demand items together to minimise picking journeys. Items that are often ordered together could also be placed together.
Zones
Purchase equipment from a warehouse trolleys supplier that also sells other warehouse equipment, such as packing tables and racks. They will be able to look at the warehouse operation as a whole and advise on the best warehouse layout to use for picking efficiency.
One way to increase efficiency in busy warehouses is to assign zones to different trolley operators. An operator will only pick orders that require items from one zone. This doesn’t need to be a strict system, as it may be more efficient for operators to occasionally pick items from multiple zones. Software is available that can plan picking routes to make picking quicker. It constantly monitors orders and, if possible, restricts pickers to a single zone. The system also knows when it is advantageous to send pickers to more than one zone.
Accuracy
It is vital that customers receive the exact items ordered. Order items may go through several hands before they are dispatched. Ideally, orders should be handled by just two people: the picker with their trolley and the packer who packs the orders for dispatch. Technology should be used so that manual checking is not needed. Barcode scanners confirm that order items are correct and trolley mounted sensors direct trolley operators to the right item locations.
Steely Products is a quality warehouse trolleys supplier. Talk to us about the best trolleys and equipment to make your warehouse efficient – use the contact form below or call us today.
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