JIT Solutions Group, an independent consulting firm, provides operations support and resources to companies that manufacture, distribute and warehouse material. Based in the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina, we have had the privilege of sharing our Experience and Expertise with businesses in various industries, states and countries. Organizing Your World.....1 Piece at a Time
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Get your Warehouse in order-Housekeeping
So, in the week since I posted “Get your house in order, your
Warehouse that is, were you able to put your Warehouse in complete order? I’m sure you have because there’s nothing to it
right? All of the broken equipment, dented shelving and the overall basic trash
has been removed. All of your bins have been re-labeled or for that fact
LABELED. All of your inventory is off of the floor and now has a home. The
obsolete inventory has been identified and has been packed up and ready to be
sold off right? These, along with 100 or so other tasks I’m sure have been
completed. You’ve had a WHOLE week to do this and all you have to do is blink
your eyes or twitch your nose and poof, it’s done.
Now that you’ve
finished with a little chuck or finished uttering “yeah right” let’s get down
to business.
If you’ve been studying over your project list for the past
few days or even have a list that goes back several months and are wondering
what your should tackle first, let me be the first the tell you that you’re not
alone is asking this question & I HAVE NO IDEA EITHER. Since the word
“should” is a relative term the item(s) you should work on 1st
should be those that are causing you the most discomfort, PAIN that is.
One of the most common Pains companies have is lack of
work/storage space. Have you ever said “I wish we had more room” or “We need
more room”! In a lot of cases the extra room that we all wish for is actually
there but it’s hidden by all of the trash, excess equipment, inventory and just
the complete disorganization that occurs over time in a warehouse environment. If
you and I were sitting down to review your project list, without a doubt I
would suggest you begin “cleaning house” today.
Make the commitment of repairing or disposing of any equipment
that hasn’t worked in a year or more. Chances are that if you haven’t fixed it
by now, you won’t and probably don’t need to. Remove the old boxes of “stuff”
sitting around collecting dust. If the boxes have dust on them no one has
opened the boxes in quite some time so you probably don’t need it. I could go
on for a LONG time here but here’s a good rule to go by, whatever you’re
tripping over either find it a home in your warehouse or trash it.
I’d like to wrap up by offering you 1 important thing to
keep in mind while you and your team are cleaning up and out. Be sure you are
completely aware of what’s being disposed of. Do NOT get in a hurry and begin
throwing out “everything”. As you’re going thru this housekeeping process, you
are likely to find some hidden treasures that everyone has forgotten about.
About Joe Crews (Inventory Joe) &
JIT Solutions Group
Since 2006, I’ve been able to educate companies not only
within North Carolina
but across the Globe on the Best Practices of Warehouse, Inventory, Safety
& other Supply Chain Operations. I’m able to accomplish my goal thru
virtual and on-site consulting and coaching as well as thru speaking
engagements & contributions on several online platforms. It's exciting to share
my message and I hope you found this Post informative. Please share with others
within your network and be sure to select the “Follow” tab to review my
previous Posts and to ensure you don’t miss any future Posts.
If you have any questions or would like more information
about our services, please contact/connect with me at:
LinkedIn: Connect with me here on LinkedIn
☏ 336.624.6847
Twitter @inventoryjoe1
Monday, January 4, 2016
Get your house in order, Warehouse that is!
I’m sure over the past week or so you’ve seen a lot of
stories on TV and the Web about making your 2016 New Years Resolutions and most
of the “lists” that I’ve seen pretty much all look alike and include things such
as Eat Healthier, Loose Weight, Spending more time with family, Save money, etc
but what about your resolutions to improve your business this year,
specifically your Warehouse Operations? Think for a moment about the following
question. “What improvements and changes
could you make in your Warehouse today that could help you operate more
efficiently and profitable?”
Before you begin making your list do one thing please, cross
out the word resolution and replace it with GOAL, goals are concrete whereas resolutions have a
tendency to more of lofty ideas that often get lost during the course of
conducting actual business. It’s also very important to understand from the
start that you will be committing time and resources to accomplish these goals.
Now the real fun begins, making your Project List. Every
company is going to have a list that is specific to their industry and their
concerns but there are a few topics that I’m guessing will be on everyone’s
list. Here are a few that come to mind:
Housekeeping
Inventory concerns- accuracy, turns, storage, excess &
obsolete
Staff Development
Inventory Turns
Spend Reduction
Safety issues
Workflow
Space Utilization
I could go on for some time with a list of issues that I’ve
encountered but it’s more important for you to develop your own list. Be sure
to seek input not only from your Warehouse personnel but from everyone who interacts
with your Warehouse. This should include Sales Team, Delivery personnel,
Procurement, Customer Service, IT, Accounting, etc.
Even though it’s important to develop a Project List do NOT
create such a list that will overwhelm you and your team. Your list should
contain realistic goals along with a realistic timeframe for the completion
time for each topic.
Finally, if I may offer one suggestion that has proven to
work time and time again. Begin working on your project list by first picking 1
or 2 items that can be completed fairly quickly. The goal here is to have your
team achieve a couple of quick victories. After these victories are achieved,
your team will begin having the BUY-IN you’re seeking.
About Joe Crews (Inventory Joe) &
JIT Solutions Group
Since 2006, I’ve been able to educate companies not only
within North Carolina
but across the Globe on the Best Practices of Warehouse, Inventory, Safety
& other Supply Chain Operations. I’m able to accomplish my goal thru
virtual and on-site consulting and coaching as well as thru speaking
engagements & contributions on several online platforms. It's exciting to
share my message and I hope you found this Post informative. Please share with
others within your network and be sure to select the “Follow” tab to review my
previous Posts and to ensure you don’t miss any future Posts.
If you have any questions or would like more information
about our services, please contact/connect with me at:
LinkedIn: Connect with me here on LinkedIn
☏ 336.624.6847
Twitter @inventoryjoe1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)