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The Argument for
If a prospective customer turned up at your warehouse
unexpectedly, would you be embarrassed by the state of your
facility, or would it pass muster at the spot inspection?
The truth is that disorganized warehouses are bad for business. It's easy to
imagine how bad warehousekeeping practices reduce productivity and cost the
distribution industry billions of dollars annually.
Warehouse Denial
One of PathGuide's clients recently confided that he had been in denial about his
warehouse. Jeff Greenberg, director of operations at Rawson, knew that there
was some room for improvement, but when he inspected a couple of warehouses
equipped with PathGuide's Latitude WMS, he came away with some skepticism.
Why? Because he equated chaos with productivity. "The warehouses we visited
were so quiet and orderly that we just thought the staff weren't being productive.
We didn't know any better," he said. That's probably the biggest obstacle to
making improvements; realizing that our warehouse environments could be a lot
better.
There are many ways that a warehouse or distribution center benefits from
keeping its facilities organized and clean. Let's compare two fictional warehouses
to describe exactly how.
On the one hand, we have a warehouse in a state of constant disarray. We've all
seen this scenario. YouTube videos (like this) show how much damage can be
done from poor warehousekeeping and general lack of appropriate training and
safety standards.
On the flip side, we have a warehouse where keeping aisles clear and inventory
organized is a priority. Does it take extra work to be neat and tidy? In the short-
term, yes. But the long-term benefits absolutely make the effort worthwhile.
Good Warehousekeeping