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If your warehouse experiences a high rate of customer returns or complaints, canceled orders, or back-ordered items, your operation is likely suffering from inventory fulfillment issues. Failing to meet customer expectations through poor order fulfillment could spur the customer to deal with a competitor in the future. Warehouse managers must pay attention to any indicators of fulfillment problems and correct them as quickly as possible. Below are some common causes of inventory fulfillment issues. Poor Training and Quality Control Many fulfillment issues concern a picker choosing the wrong item or packing an item that is damaged. Another frequent fulfillment error is shipping before an order...

The pandemic was the perfect storm for the warehouse industry. Workers, already in short supply, abandoned the industry in droves due to a perception that facilities could not adequately protect them from exposure. At the same time, e-commerce exploded, increasing the demand for workers. Significantly higher wages, signing bonuses, and increased attention to worker satisfaction have become mainstream as warehouses try to keep up with demand. However, maintaining optimal staffing numbers remains a challenge, and many warehouses are turning to technology to fill the gaps. Strategically employing automation could solve some of your warehouse staffing problems. By using technology to perform repetitive or unsafe tasks,...

Warehousing is an industry that is adopting robots and automation to great effect. Distribution centers and warehouses that use integrated warehouse management systems (WMS)—including robots, drones, autonomous vehicles, smart conveyors, and other technology—are safer, more efficient, and deliver a better customer experience. The hype surrounding fully automated warehouses may have seemed overblown, but there is no doubt that technological solutions can address many persistent warehousing challenges. The future of robots and drones in warehousing looks bright. Drones and Robots Could Pay Big Dividends One of the great benefits of automated processes is their efficiency. Drones and robots can pick orders and count inventory more quickly...

One of the simplest and most effective ways to increase your operation’s bottom line is to make the best use of your available warehouse space. Organizing your warehouse for optimum efficiency saves labor, speeds throughput, and could reduce worker fatigue and injury. Space optimization in a warehouse is not rocket science, but it requires forethought. Here are a few tips for making the most of your limited warehouse space. Do the Math Warehouse operators might know how much storage capacity they have, although it is wise to do these calculations periodically because the way an organization uses specific spaces changes over time. However, many operators...

Customer expectations regarding order accuracy and delivery times are high, and meeting these expectations puts pressure on warehouse managers. Smart systems and logistics technology can help. Integrated warehouse management systems (WMS) could streamline every aspect of warehouse transportation, from having staff ready in the receiving bay when a delivery arrives to selecting a distribution route for packed orders. Warehouses can maximize efficiency and customer satisfaction by focusing their transportation operation improvement efforts on specific pain points. Shipment Tracking and Visibility An optimized warehouse transportation system could acquire and manage information about stock availability, delivery times, supply shortages, and other data critical to serving customers. Some...

Companies often see their warehouse as a necessary expense. They might recognize that poor warehouse performance leads to costly problems, but they rarely imagine how good warehouse management could improve their customers’ experience. Optimal warehouse management could result in significant cost savings that the company could pass along to the consumer. However, other valuable benefits to quality warehouse management make a discernible difference in the customer experience. The bottom line for every business is happy customers who come back again and again and tell their friends about your great service. Improving warehouse operations could enhance your customers’ shopping experience and send your reputation for service...