A bearded man wearing a high-vis jacket using a tablet in a warehouse

Three Ways To Reduce Warehouse Costs

A modern warehousing operation needs to be fast and accurate to meet customer demand. The pressure to deliver same day despatch and next day delivery have put pressure on warehouses and supply chains. In these trying times economically, budgets are tight. To cut costs while delivering fast and accurate service requires intelligent solutions. Below we offer three tips to reduce warehouse costs while delivering great results:

1. Make sure every shipment is in the right place

To ensure there are optimal stock levels in your warehouse, it is essential to accurately record the location, count and type of every single item in the receiving process. Operations such as picking, stock taking, and reordering will never be efficient unless put-away is right. With Zebra’s hand-held or wearable devices paired with a modern Warehouse Management System (WMS), you mobilise and empower your workforce to see exactly where a product is stored and how much is available in real time.

In addition, you know when stock is added or replenished so inventory planners can accurately anticipate purchasing cycles and manufacturing schedules. When you know exactly where each piece of a shipment is located, it eliminates errors and provides an audit trail for traceability.

If every item is stored in the correct location, it will save time and money through every step of the storage and shipping process.

2. Optimise warehouse resources by enhancing processes where they count most

Knowing what stock is actually in your warehouse is essential as errors creep into stock figures over time. The solution is to conduct frequent stocktakes, but manually counting stock can consume precious time and resources. Zebra’s mobile warehouse inventory solutions allow you to manage your inventory in real time, keeping an accurate count and location of everything from raw materials to finished goods.

With an average of 65% of a warehouse’s operating budget being tied up in labour costs, it is vital to maximize each worker’s productivity. As well as improving throughput efficiency, continuous inventory visibility is proven to reduce shrinkage and losses.

When it comes to enhancing processes, efficient communication is vital. Workers use a variety of devices and platforms to communicate – email, SMS, phone, radios. Zebra Workforce connect is the solution that combines all these into one and works across mobile and desktop devices. With Workforce Connect, you can achieve constant voice and data communication throughout your warehouse and yard. This allows your team to communicate seamlessly, resolving potential problems and saving valuable time, which reduces overall staff costs.

3. Automate where possible

Through automation, companies like Amazon have been able to offer fast service at a low price. Automation is the key to lowering costs while improving efficiency.

Automated scanning processes such as RFID technology can quickly and accurately sort and track pallets on the move. Zebra’s robust RFID terminals and fixed readers are tough enough to withstand continuous use in hostile operational environments. This means fewer terminals need to be replaced, leading to increase device lifespan and lower total cost of ownership.

As pallets are loaded, RFID tags can be read to confirm the right shipments are on the right lorry.

Hands-Free Technology such as Zebra’s wearable or fixed mount scanners allow workers in packing areas to focus on the task at hand so they can be more productive and accurate, saving on staffing costs.

By utilising flexible data capture options such as 1D or 2D barcodes and RFID, you can continue to evolve your warehouse operations to ensure complete compliance and traceability while reducing costs.

If you want to improve warehouse efficiency through RFID and barcoding technology, contact our team at the link below and we will provide consultation and product recommendations that will cut overall costs and improve productivity.