Whether you’re an individual team member or a floor manager, you’ll undoubtedly have several key warehouse responsibilities to stay on top of. Should you lose grip of these responsibilities, you may notice that performance, productivity, efficiency and other key metrics start to slip.
All of the aforementioned factors are areas that are monitored closely by superiors to ensure that they’re getting the most out of their team and their investment. So, you need to stay on top of your warehouse responsibilities – not only to please them – but to ensure that the business is heading in the right direction.
This post will outline key warehouse responsibilities and will include easily implementable tips for you to follow and introduce within your workplace. That way, you can make sure that you’re covering all bases and best position your business for success.
We’ll cover:
- Adhere to Health and Safety Regulations
- Meet Tight Deadlines
- Uplift Team Morale and Mood
- Keep the Warehouse as Clean as Possible
Adhere to Health and Safety Regulations
Warehouses are busy places. With this constant sense of urgency, it increases the chances of accidents happening, especially if there are no processes in place. Without processes, your operations will become a bit of a free-for-all. Therefore, this chaotic approach most definitely won’t adhere to health and safety regulations.
Accidents in the workplace are serious. Not only are they awful for your team member on the receiving end but your business too. Within warehouses, accidents that happen are likely to be more serious than a little cut or a scrape. Depending on the severity, they could even lead to fatalities.
Not only is this worrying for your team members, but a serious accident may hamper your reputation and result in you owing a small fortune in compensation. With a process that adheres to health and safety regulations relevant to your industry, you’ll ensure that your operations follow best practices and everyone is kept as safe as possible while on the job.
It’s one thing having a process in place but you NEED to stick to it. Otherwise, what’s the point in having one in the first place? Also, all processes need to be unique to your site. Just because a system works well for your competitors, doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. Your site is unique and presents its own hazards and risks.
Meet Tight Deadlines
Warehouses are constantly under the pressure of tight deadlines. They rely on two-way deliveries – goods in and goods out. So, in essence, there’s double the pressure to ensure that deadlines are met and everything runs smoothly. By missing one deadline it can have a total knock-on effect on your operations.
The delivery bay is essential to what goes on inside your warehouse. If there’s a delay in receiving raw materials, there’ll inevitably be a delay in turning these raw materials into products and fulfilling customer orders. Therefore, one delayed delivery can mean that whole projects are affected and customers may receive their orders late.
Customers will likely be disgruntled if their orders. Of course, delayed deliveries aren’t the only reason that projects get delayed. Is your team fulfilling their full potential? Or, are they slacking on the job and taking it easy? As a warehouse manager, it’s your job to monitor the performance of your team and ensure that you’re getting the most out of them.
A great way of meeting tight deadlines is by creating incentives for your team to get the work done. Rewards for hitting targets and competing against other areas of the business on productivity and output are two great ways to drive success and motivation. A motivated team is much more likely to meet deadlines than one that’s not.
Uplift Team Morale and Mood
One of the main warehouse responsibilities for the floor manager is to monitor the general mood of your team. Are your team happy with the way things are being run? Or do they have problems and want to see a change in operations? It’s up to the warehouse manager to gauge this and give them a platform to air and value their viewpoint.
Team morale is crucial – especially when carrying out monotonous and quite boring tasks daily. If your team isn’t happy, they’ll dread going to work. If they’re not in the right mind frame when entering work, it’s likely that they’ll be demotivated and won’t reach their full potential. When morale is high, performance follows suit.
So, how can you lift morale in the workplace? It’s a constant battle that managers find themselves fighting. However, we find that one of the best ways to do this is by empowering your team members. Value and take on board their viewpoint – furthermore, give them responsibility and show that you trust them.
For example, if you need to make a vital decision on behalf of your team, they’ll respond well if you consult them before making the decision. They’ll value the fact you have their best interests at heart and have taken their thoughts on board.
Keep the Warehouse as Clean as Possible
Although often overlooked, keeping your site clean is one of the most important warehouse responsibilities. If you’re operating in a dirty environment, you’re increasing the risk of accidents happening. Keeping your warehouse as clean as possible is one way that you can safely adhere to health and safety regulations.
Not only does it increase the chances of accidents happening but it can also mean that bad practice creeps into your operations. If you’re not enforcing high-quality standards from the ground up, your standards may be slipping in everything that you do. If you start to cut corners in one area, what’s stopping you from cutting corners in others?
So, you need to keep your warehouse as clean as possible. Firstly, you need to introduce a true cleaning regime and set aside regular time to carry it out. If you don’t set aside the right amount of time, things will never get done and you’ll always find something “more important” to do. In reality, just because cleaning doesn’t directly drive revenue, that doesn’t make it any less important than other tasks.
To ensure that your warehouse is as clean as possible, it’s your responsibility to equip your team with the right machinery to get the job done. It’s pointless giving them a mop and bucket and expecting the place to be spotless, right? An industrial floor cleaning machine is a necessary investment for all warehouse scenarios.
Again, you need to equip yourself with the right machinery that meets the needs and requirements of your individual site. For example, if you operate on a large site, you could benefit from a ride-on scrubber dryer or floor sweeper. These heavy-duty machines could also be assisted with the addition of walk-behind versions for a more comprehensive deep clean.
Beta Solutions Can Help Equip Your Business Properly
So, as you’ve just read, one of the main warehouse responsibilities is ensuring that your team is well-equipped enough to thoroughly clean your site. Your workplace should reflect the standards that you want to uphold right the way through your business. And the only way to achieve groundbreaking results is by introducing an industrial floor cleaner.
We appreciate that there are a lot of machines on the market, so it can be a little overwhelming when starting your search for the right one. Factory Cat is the perfect starting point for your research – there’s a reason why they’re at the forefront of the industry. They’re durable, long-lasting and proven to get the job done.
However, you must choose the right model for your site. That’s where we come in. At Beta Solutions, our expert team will work tirelessly to make sure that the right machine for your requirements is acquired. To see which machine is perfect for your business and industry, please download our free guide today!
It includes everything you need to know to help you make smarter decisions. If you still need a little convincing, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. One of our expert team will be on hand to gladly help!
