5 Ways to Reduce Product Delivery Damage
Ensuring that goods arrive at their intended destination is one of the top priorities of any operations, logistics, or warehouse manager. Other than setting up effective shelving systems and working with suppliers who have a equal commitment to reducing delivery damage, there are many things that managers can to do reduce the incidence of produce delivery damage. Read these five practical strategies for getting started.
1. Use a Good Pallet System
Using a secure pallet racking system along with durable pallets in your warehouse allows goods to be stored, picked, and loaded with minimum impact or potential for damage.
Choosing Mobile Devices for Your Warehouse
Mobile communication tools and scanning devices can be vital for warehouse efficiency, particularly in larger warehouses. Getting in touch with staff on the warehouse floor and accessing information in a timely manner – these procedures can assist with reducing delays, eliminating wastage, and better decision making. Read the following tips for choosing mobile tools for your warehouse needs.
Intuitive Usage
As with any other tech tool, look for systems that balance functionality with user-friendliness. Users may not be technically savvy computer experts, so the more intuitive the device, the easier it will be to use and the more quickly staff will be able to use it effectively, whether it’s to record goods in the warehouse’s shelving systems or to communicate with other staff on the warehouse floor.
Durability and Warranties
4 Essential Pricing Tips for Online Business
Pricing can be a vital selling point for small businesses, especially for those selling online. Fixing your price range can be important when you’re just planning your business, and even well before you need to consider issues such as shelving systems and finding a storage space or warehouse. Balancing competitiveness with a sustainable pricing strategy is the key to making your business work.
1. Finding a Reasonable Price Point
Researching competitors’ pricing strategies is the first step in finding a reasonable price point. You can use the internet or visit physical stores to get an idea of market prices.
Guide to Finding a Profitable eCommerce Niche
A common way for many online retailers and eCommerce businesses to start out is by carving out a niche, and then gradually expand their product selection. Like any other business model, online retail may require some trial and error and plenty of research, even well before you start thinking about finding premises or getting set up with pallet racking storage systems for your warehouse. Use these practical strategies for discovering a profitable eCommerce niche.
Benefits of the Niche Model
Paul Greenberg, the co-founder of the online department store DealsDirect, has stated that if he was starting from scratch today, he would focus on a niche opportunity.
Top 3 Strategies for Greening Your Warehouse
If you’re thinking of going green in your warehouse, you’re not alone. Surveys have shown that organisations of all sizes are introducing sustainability practices throughout their entire supply chain to reduce costs and environmental impact and to improve brand image and customer satisfaction. While there are countless ways to go green, the warehouse, with its vital role in the supply chain, is one of the best places to get started in greening your business. From upgrading equipment to redesigning facilities such as shelving systems, any organisation can reduce their environmental impact and reduce operating costs by greening their warehouse.
Step 1. Assess Your Warehouse Operations
The first step in greening your warehouse is to asses your current facilities and operations. In basic terms this means to take stock of what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. Sometimes it’s helpful to go through your warehouse operations with a green specialist to get a second opinion.
5 Step Guide to Reducing Packaging Costs
Reducing packaging is not only better for the environment, it can be a great way to significantly reduce operating costs. The computer giant Dell was reported to have saved around US$8 million over four years by simply redesigning packaging for its PCs. In this article, we look at some of the best ways to reduce packaging for your products.
Packaging Categories
There are three key types of packaging:
- Tertiary packaging – usually the level of packaging that allows a product to be securely transported in bulk and stored. An example would be the pallets and pallet wraps that allow the product to be stored on pallet racking.
- Secondary packaging – with secondary packaging, the product can be easily grouped until its sold.
- Primary packaging – packaging that’s used at the point of sale and as the product is consumed. An example would be the tissue box for a tissue.
How to Choose a Barcode System
A barcode system lets you keep track of the stock in the shelving systems in your warehouse and the movement of your stock levels. A typical system will have some hardware devices that allows you to scan individual items and relay that to some kind of central management software. The software allows you to analyse the data and print out more barcode labels. Barcode systems can be complex or relatively simple, depending on your needs. Here are five quick tips to choosing the right barcode system for your warehouse needs.
Identify Your Business Requirements
The first step in choosing any system is to identify your business requirements.
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Five Tips for Improving Order Picking Efficiency
Order picking is the process of retrieval of items from storage and shelving systems, usually to meet individual customer orders. Studies have found that order picking tends to be the most labour intensive activity in any warehouse. Order picking has been found to form as much as 55 per cent of the operation costs of any distribution centre, compared to the shipping, storage, and receiving stages which typically make up under 20 per cent of costs. Order picking efficiency has a clear and direct influence on the timely fulfilment of orders. While there are many complicated software and technology solutions and consultants who can provide professional advice on optimising your warehouse procedures, these practical tips can be used by anyone seeking to cut warehouses operating costs by boosting the efficiency of your order picking.
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Four Strategies for Improving Loading Dock Safety
The loading dock is a key area of any warehouse, being the point of access for shipping and receiving stock. A well-design loading dock and load dock procedures minimises delays, damage to goods, and ensures the safety of your staff. Like shelving systems, loading docks can be designed to optimise productivity and the smooth running of your warehouse.
Key Hazards and Process Points
Common loading dock hazards arise from slippery floors, falls, unsecured dock plates, exposure to air and noise pollution from trucks, lifting injuries, as well as injuries from incorrect operation of material handling equipment. Slipping, tripping and falling are some of the most common causes of injury at loading docks.
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Six Online Retail Business Success Stories
Of the fastest growing Australian online retail business stories, many are bricks and mortars businesses selling physical goods rather than services or experiences. Here, we look at some of the top online retailers in the past five years, not counting auction sites.
DealsDirect
DealsDirect is one of the best known and largest online department stores in Australia. With comprehensive shelving systems in a warehouse space of over 40,000 square metres, DealsDirect has delivered over 4 million parcels to happy customers since its founding in October 2004. Based in Western Sydney, the company started out as an eBay-based retailer and now employs over 120 staff members. Specialising in retail goods at a heavily discounted rate, Deals Direct has won many awards for its reputedly outstanding customer service and brand recall among consumers.
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