Standard Warehouse Management Practices: What You Need to Know

For manufacturing and goods distribution business operations, the word “warehouse” is nothing new.

Warehouse refers to the logistics system within a company’s warehouse that is used to store and make available the information related to goods’ shipping status and their physical conditions and information regarding goods stocks during certain period. This shows that activities carried out within a warehouse are important factors in the business supply chain.

Due to its strategic role, the warehouse management system or WMS becomes a factor that business actors need to understand. In simple terms, WMS is a control system for warehouse operational activities.

This system is designed to help business actors control and monitor supply chain processes, ranging from goods shipment and receipt up to storage.

See also: Types of Shipment in Logistics Industry

In this digital era, WMS has become more advanced as it incorporates the use of digital systems and devices such as barcode scanners, email, and other cutting-edge digital devices.

With such an automated system, the level of error in warehouse operational processes can be put to a minimum. Additionally, it further enhances the data input efficiency and the accuracy of the warehouse data analysis.

5 Standard Warehouse Management Processes

To that end, all processes must be compliant with the prevailing standards.  There are at least 5 processes to focus on and be put as the standard processes when it comes to a good warehouse management system.

Goods Receipt

This process focuses on the first-mile warehouse and is among the vital processes. Here, the supplier’s responsibility is transferred to the warehouse owner.

To ensure the good goods receipt, the warehouse owner must maintain the accuracy of the goods number and condition as per the supplier’s request and instruction. Additionally, the warehouse owner must ensure the timely goods receipt as this directly impacts the rest of the supply chain processes.

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Goods Storage

The placement of goods within the warehouse is the focus here. The warehouse owner must ensure that the storage location is ideal to ensure the productivity of warehouse operational activities.

Goods Pickup

In this process, warehouse personnel collect goods as per the customers’ orders. This process typically requires a great budget or incurs a great overhead cost.

Thus, this process should be done quickly, correctly, and effectively to save money. Doing so will even enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of production and distribution processes.

Goods Packing

At a glance, this process looks easy. It is not at all true. This process requires a high level of meticulousness and stringent surveillance because errors in packing goods as per the customers’ orders will lead to serious consequences.

See also: Five Telltale Signs of a Good Logistics Warehouse

Besides the immense additional cost, such errors will undermine customers’ trust. These consequences will no doubt greatly impact companies.

Goods Dispatch

This constitutes the last process done within the warehouse and the beginning of the long journey of goods shipment to customers. To make it effective and efficient, orders must be filtered and arranged based on their contents. This will ensure timely and safe shipment.

The five processes above fall under the Standard Operating Procedure of the logistics industry’s WMS. This is why it is important to choose a reputable and professional logistics service that can carry out each process according to the prevailing standards.

SELOG is here to serve the customers’ needs in end-to-end logistics through diverse services. They range from Contract Logistics, Shipping Services, Shipping Agencies, Forwarding Agencies, Warehouse and Yard Management to Courier Services.

See also: Things to Keep in Mind When Using a Shipping Agency

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