Ever since the pandemic, concerns about warehouse staffing levels, and their ability to get orders out on time, have loomed large for consumers and the industry alike.
No matter how “normal” things have returned to, online shopping has continued to be the primary form of commerce for the majority of American shoppers, and this has continued to place a strain on warehouses and supply chains across the globe.
In no season is this more true than the holidays. The fourth quarter of the year is the busiest for any logistics, retail, or warehousing business, and it can be difficult to keep your staff as prepared as they need to be for this season.
If you’re hiring temp workers, bringing on new permanent team members, or just need to train up your workers in the most important areas of focus during the holiday months, here’s a few priority areas to emphasize:
Peak Season Warehouse Training Tips
Educate on newer (or older) installations
The modern warehouse has come a long way from the days of just pallet racks. Each warehouse, whether it deals in manufacturing, product distribution, or direct retail, features a number of installations and features that can help keep products organized, but could lead to confusion or delays if your more unfamiliar team members aren’t brought up to speed.
Make sure your team is aware of how your facility uses fixtures like push back racking, bulk storage racks, and boltless shelving to maintain consistent usage standards and avoid lost or damaged products. Even if your team doesn’t interact with these features as frequently as some others, making sure your staff is all on the same page will go a long way towards preventing delays.
Schedule inbound & outbound accordingly
The overall influx of orders through the holiday season, as well as the gradual piling-up of orders over the weekend, can have a big effect on shipping processes. During the holidays, consider changing the schedule of when you process inbound shipments versus outbound shipments, in order to prevent delays during an already-busy season. Inbound shipments could be delayed until later in the week, allowing you to use Monday and Tuesday to catch back up on any outgoing orders that still need to be processed, or may be running behind.
Predict and communicate demand spikes
Demand forecasting is half the battle when it comes to logistics management anymore, but making sure your plans can factor those forecasts in is a crucial step. Once your Q4 demand forecasting is completed, make sure to convey any predicted spikes or lulls to your team in order to make sure everything is as prepared for the busy days as they can be. This can also apply to any of your fulfillment partners - clear communication about certain promos or in-demand items can go a long way to preventing potential snags.
Keep your teams aware of safety stock
Lastly, a lot of delays in ordering can come from confusion about if a product is in stock, or where it’s located. If your warehouse keeps safety stock, make sure its location is consistent, well-conveyed, and easy to access for when your teams need it. (And around the holidays, it’s always a matter of when.)
Shop Shelving.com to prepare for peak season today!