How To Reduce Human Errors In Your Warehouse?

Do you run a warehousing and distribution business and want to minimize human errors? Picking errors, for example, are a silent problem in a warehouse: you’ll hardly notice them immediately but still slow down production in your warehouse. While workplace accidents are expected to occur occasionally, most are due to human error. Unfortunately, these mishaps can lead to costly mistakes. For instance, misdelivered goods, expired merchandise, broken items, and damage that affects your facility. Fortunately, you can increase employee efficiency while improving profitability if you know how to avoid human error in your operation. Below are some of the most effective ways to keep your warehouse safe while increasing efficiency.

1. Implement A System To Manage Your Warehouse 

When you use technology to your advantage, you are immediately on your way to success. With the right technology, you can increase the effectiveness and productivity of your employees, which leads to higher profits. A WMS (Warehouse Management System) is software that organizes, regulates, and controls warehouse activities from when products arrive at the warehouse until they leave – an ideal solution.

WMS software is critical for product verification and traceability, which are necessary for regulatory compliance in numerous sectors. They also ensure that materials and goods are transported most cost-effectively. Workers can use WMS to locate and place things and get order revisions while performing other tasks. Some even offer intelligent pick lists that automatically show employees the shortest route through the warehouse.

2. Check Your Environment

Often it is not the technology but the product’s location that causes workers problems and demotivates them. Employees can only find their way around if the environment is well-designed. Otherwise, they may travel long distances to get an ordered product, wasting valuable time, which is expensive in the long run. Many WMS tools allow users to evaluate the layout of a warehouse and develop strategies for improvement.

Imagine what small changes can do to your environment. Assuming your WMS identifies frequently picked goods, consider placing them near packers and pickers. WMS is also very helpful in strategic draws such as FIFO (First In, First Out) and LIFO (Last In, First Out).

3. Use Validation Scanning 

Are most of the problems in your warehouse due to incorrectly selected or packaged goods? If so, consider using post-pick scanners or evaluations. Every poorly packaged item doubles the effort or time required to complete a transaction. No wonder validation becomes necessary when using automation processes.

To verify that you’ve packed everything in the right place, your staff needs to be able to use barcode scanners and connected WMS and ERP platforms. Verifying the weight of your package and obtaining confirmations from the inspector, picker, and courier, among others, helps ensure that the right things are delivered to the right customer.

4. Consistently Review Your Storage Plans

Even in cases where you aren’t using ERP or WMS, some techniques can help you reduce human errors related to storage. These methods include:

• Reviewing your storage methods
• Positioning goods with high demand in easily accessible areas
• Store frequently used products near the packing and shipping areas of your warehouse.
• Properly mark your storage locations, bays, and bins
• Store products with identical SKUs in a similar place.
• Ensure that all containers contain only one product, as multiple goods can cause picking problems.
• Use a warehouse management system to monitor and evaluate stock levels
• Carry out regular stock checks

When you check your inventory for errors, there’s a good chance you’ll come across misplaced or mislabeled products, among the most common sources of errors. When these errors occur during inventory replenishment, they inadvertently lead to further problems. Therefore, checking your inventory is critical to increasing picking and packing efficiency.

5. Use IDs To Monitor Employees And Note Problems

People are prone to making mistakes, and that includes your warehouse workers. Errors result from various circumstances, primarily physical, emotional, and psychological stress. Carelessness, fatigue, or lack of enthusiasm can also influence actions that lead to mistakes. It is best to assign an identification number to each employee to ensure that they remain accountable for everything they do at work.

Your employees will use the WMS to track orders, identify pick paths, and report problems. The IDs also help managers determine who is responsible for tasks, who need additional training, and who made a mistake.

Automating activities and ensuring your entire team is on board is an effective strategy for eliminating human error in warehouse facilities. Fortunately, you can streamline every selection, packing, and shipping stage when your employees use barcode scanners and WMS systems.