Whether you’re transporting customer orders or warehouse inventory to and from your facility, you need visibility into the cargo throughout its journey. This is called inventory management.
Inventory management is the practice of identifying which inventory to buy and when, in order to prevent stock-outs. It also includes a number of lean management and Six Sigma practices to eliminate waste and raise efficiency.
Warehouse Receiving Order (WRO) Labels
In the warehouse receiving process, business owners complete pre-receiving tasks like proper documentation and determine the packaging specifications for shipments to go into their warehouse(s). This includes dimensional weight, labeling criteria, acceptable package size/weight, etc. If a company partners with a third-party logistics (3PL) firm, they will review the 3PL’s pre-receiving requirements and their procedures for ending inventory in their warehouse(s). During the truck unloading stage, warehouse employees should verify that the shipment has the correct number of products, verify that the product codes are correct on both the WRO and the actual delivered cargo, check for damage during shipping, verify the integrity of seals, and confirm that the products listed on the WRO match the actual items received.
An optimized warehouse receiving procedure can help prevent stockouts and improve overall order fulfillment operations. Get started today with doForms and a streamlined warehouse receiving process checklist. Then, let Easyship connect you to the world’s largest fulfillment network to make the process even easier.
Warehouse Unloading
Warehouse employees need to be able to load and unload trucks quickly and efficiently. They also need to be able to do so safely. This includes avoiding trailer creep, which happens when the truck moves forward without workers being ready and can cause severe injuries to warehouse personnel. Using restraints instead of chocks can help prevent this from occurring. Lastly, centralized warehouse lighting is essential for worker safety and creates clear communication channels.
Warehouse workers should be trained to recognize potential hazards in a loading dock area, including improper lifting of cargo, forklift traffic lanes, and securing cargo properly on the back of a truck. Additionally, warehouse employees should be aware of possible weather issues that could damage or affect a shipment en route. This will minimize problems later in the supply chain, such as reordering damaged goods or missing items from a customer order. This could result in lost sales and profits. This is why it’s important to use a centralized management system that can help reduce warehouse truck loading and unloading errors.
Driver Check-In
When truck drivers are ready to load or unload, they need the right documents and directions to do so safely. A driver check-in kiosk allows them to key in their information directly into the device, speeding up flow and minimizing administrative steps versus visiting a customer service office or gatehouse.
Kiosks can also communicate to material handling staff when a driver has arrived and may provide instructions for parking, moving equipment and even the specific items to be loaded or unloaded. These features improve operational consistency and streamline processes, helping to prevent errors and compliance risks such as CoR violations.
Sine Workflows also gives logistics managers insights into a driver’s location, their assignment and more, including document uploads that ensure CoR compliance. You can even verify that your drivers are taking the required rests and breaks to reduce fatigue and accidents on the job. For more details, see this procedure.
Driver Check-Out
Aside from a host of document sharing, real-time updates and workflow automations that Sine Core provides for logistics businesses, it also automates a suite of safety procedures including driver check-in and check-out. These functions are designed to keep your drivers reminded of safety methods, ensuring that they are taking adequate breaks and not using their phones while driving.
Additionally, it makes it much easier to see if your drivers are aware of any changes in company procedure or assignment information through Sine’s document upload capabilities. This also means that you can be confident that your drivers are getting the rests and breaks they need, reducing fatigue levels and avoiding accidents while on-the-road. Sine Core is able to perform respirator fit testing on the spot, ensuring that your drivers have proper equipment that is working properly and meeting DOT regulations. This is a vitally important step to avoid costly fines from violations of Chain of Responsibility guidelines.
