If you run 3PL warehousing in Auckland, you know that optimisation is the name of the game. A successful 3PL warehouse can manage stock and distribution for many different companies, acting as a single source of truth no matter how intense the orders get.
To stay at the top of your game, it’s essential to optimise your 3PL warehouses. These optimisations provide foundational support to keep your team moving quickly and safely because speed is good, but safe speed is always better.
In this article, we at MHS are covering five essential tips for optimising 3PL warehouses to allow teams to do their best work. Read on as we discuss vertical safety, automation, smart layout planning and how an investment in the right equipment can maximise your productivity.
Use Vertical Space Safely
In warehousing, building up is just as important as building out. Sturdy racking is designed to take advantage of vertical space, allowing you to fit more stock into a smaller surface area.
Using vertical space safely also involves upskilling your staff in relevant safety practices. All pallet racking systems should be installed far from light fittings, heating pipes, and essential egress points. Most importantly, the system you choose should only be installed by a competent manufacturer to ensure it’s as stable and safe as possible.
Lean into Automation
Nothing kicks your warehouse into high gear quite like embracing the powers of automation. Automated material handling equipment is the next step in warehousing, allowing crews to get on with the job without having to deal with time-wasting busy work. The more intelligent automation you can integrate into your day-to-day running, the more productive you will become.
Practical choices like machinery with automatic optical height adjustment help save valuable minutes in the picking and packing process. Automated ordering and inventory systems also save a lot of time for your employees, allowing them to spend that time where it will benefit your business more.
Layout Planning is Your Friend
Over our years of operation, we’ve found that optimising the layout of your 3PL warehouse comes down to intimately understanding your daily operations. A well-planned warehouse layout significantly reduces picking, packing, and shipping time. With high-demand items placed near to the shipping area and similar items or suppliers grouped in racks, you can utilise your available space while reducing congestion on busy days.
When doing this, it’s valuable to bring your warehouse crew into the discussion. They’re on the field, working with orders every day, and their view on potential layout optimisations is incredibly valuable for long-term success.
Maximise Productivity With Good Communication
If you want a workforce that functions like a well-oiled machine, prioritise communication above everything else. If your team can clearly communicate and coordinate, they’re more likely to adapt to heavy days and notice opportunities for improvement across the floor. Be sure that your team are trained properly around automation, and allow them to see the big picture when it comes to stock placement.
Set the bar high by leading the way with proactive communication, checking in with your team and approaching every day with the mindset that every single person on your crew has something valuable to communicate in terms of their unique observations around your work practices.
Ensure performance indicators are clear and build trust and loyalty by actively listening. Make sure you provide incentives for blowing indicators out of the water, and to kick your team into high gear, plan group activities that allow each member to bring their personality to the table.
Invest in Efficient Equipment
Finally, ensure you’re investing in efficient and high-quality equipment. Great materials handling equipment is the foundation of 3PL warehousing in Auckland, allowing teams to move with versatility and safety throughout the day.
It’s best to build a fleet of equipment with different applications where possible to keep your team mobile. Where some areas of your warehouse may need a counterbalanced forklift for the heavier jobs, others may only need pedestrian stackers for picking and packing. Whether you’re upgrading an existing fleet or starting from scratch, talk to your team about what they feel they would benefit from.
The equipment itself should also be as energy and space-efficient as possible. For example, we offer zero-emission electric forklifts optimised for indoor work cycles. In other words, some charge while others work hard on the floor, allowing for round-the-clock work.
At the end of the day, knowledge is the most important factor for optimising your 3PL warehousing.
Stay on top of the evolving needs of your suppliers, clients, customers, and workforce and continue asking how you can shift your operations to make them even 1% better. Before long, you’ll create the system that works best for your unique needs.
Create elite 3PL warehousing in Auckland with the right material handling equipment on your side.
Ready to optimise your 3PL warehouse for peak performance?
Contact MHS today for tailored solutions that streamline your logistics operations and boost efficiency.