Five Tips to Prepare Your Warehouse for the Holidays

As the cooler weather and shorter days of fall take hold, many people begin to look forward to the gatherings and celebrations of the holiday season. While the holiday season is a busy time in many of our personal lives, it is also a busy time for the retail industry. This also means a busy time for warehouses and distribution centers.

So – is your distribution center ready for the holiday season? An article from Material Handling & Logistics discusses five ways to improve your warehouse readiness for a successful and efficient holiday season.

1. Demand Planning

We all know the holidays are coming. And we all know when they will be here. Start your planning and preparation for the increased workload early!

2. Elongate Your Peak Season

In recent years, several retailers have begun their holiday promotions and marketing earlier. This can help spread out the work required of a distribution center over a longer period of time.

3. Perform Warehouse Stress Tests 

By performing warehouse stress tests, you can test your systems and processes to ensure they will operate properly during the busy holiday season.

4. Arm Your Temporary Workforce

Many warehouses and distribution centers need to hire additional temporary employees to assist with the extra workload of the holidays. Make sure your temporarily employees have the tools needed to get up to speed quickly and contribute.

5. Warehouse and Fulfillment Efficiency

After the holidays, returns and exchanges are inevitable. Work to ensure that your processes and systems allow you to efficiently serve your customers and restock undamaged inventory.

Want to learn more?

Check out the complete article on whlnews.com.

Source:
Lamphier, E. (2017, September 29) Plan, Prepare and Prosper: How to Master the Busy Holiday Season. Retrieved from https://www.mhlnews.com/transportation-distribution/plan-prepare-and-prosper-how-master-busy-holiday-season