How to Better the Material Handling at Your Warehouse Practicing good material handling helps in keeping the packages as well as the employees safe. Other benefits include improved supply management and accelerated delivery times. The following tips will help in improving warehouse material handling practices.   By MMH Staff · October 22, 2018   7 Tips to Improve Warehouse Material Handling Practices: Lay it Out Efficiently Plan the layout of the warehouse efficiently to maximize the storage space. You must be able to move easily and smoothly when you carry the goods around the warehouse. Keep sufficient amount of space to move around the forklifts and weight carrying machines without obstructions. You can minimize safety hazards if you have the right layout. Creating traffic lanes and categorizing them as ingoing and outgoing lanes will help maintain the flow of shipments. If space is limited in the warehouse, use the basic road traffic rules or develop consistent traveling rules to prevent accidents. Empower the Workers with the Right Tools Using the right tools will make a huge difference. Evaluate the different types of tool you require based on the materials you work with and choose the most effective tool. Incorporate efficient weight scales like floor scales in your warehouse as they optimize weighing processes significantly. They also help in improving the accuracy of the billing and shipping, which in turn, helps in increasing the revenue and overall productivity. Tips and Training Regarding Safe Material Handling It is important for the entire warehouse staff to have a good understanding of how to handle different materials, goods and equipment like conveyors in material handling. Display tips for handling material safely in different locations around the warehouse, which the workers can refer to in case of queries. Arrange training sessions where the workers can learn how to use the right tools for various material handling jobs and the right ways of handling different types of goods. Strategic Placement of Shipments If you manually handle the shipments, place them in an easy-to-access location. Make sure that the placement is such that the handlers avoid bending down or reaching overhead. This helps in eliminating injuries that are caused due to repetitive motions. Consider the following aspects while strategizing the shipments’ placement:  

• Quantities of goods being handled: small or bulk
• Size of the pallet and depth of the pallet racking system
• The method of stock rotation being used

Maintain the Picking Equipment Ensure that the handling equipment is well maintained and serviced regularly. This keeps them in a good condition and reduces the overall downtime. Equipment like conveyors in automation, palletizers, street wrappers, etc., need planned maintenance and regular inspection. Make sure you store the maintenance records with easy access. Fix the small issues immediately without procrastinating. Upgrade the Current Picking Technology Eliminate the inefficient paper based picking techniques. Update the current picking technology to Pick-To-Voice or Pick-To-Light or Radio Frequency (RF) to enhance your processes. Consider factors like the density of SKU locations, characteristics of items being picked or required throughput while deciding on the proper picking technology. Be Green and Sustainable It is crucial to reduce the environmental impact of your material handling, which can be achieved by recycling and reusing the equipment. Consider reusable packaging, returnable containers and recyclable packing materials to make the operations greener. Make the supply chain sustainable and encourage your employees to do the same. Assess its performance and take relevant actions to address the problem areas. Simple measures like co-shipping with other companies when your shipment orders do not fill an entire truck will go a long way. Not only will it reduce your fuel costs but also help in minimizing the environmental footprint of your business. Good manual handling and material handling practices, along with good documentation,  help in avoiding accidents in the workplace and improve the flow of internal traffic. Regular tweaks in the processes and daily operations will enhance the productivity levels and increase your profit margins. 改善仓库物料处理实践的7个技巧： 有效地规划布局 有效地规划仓库布局以最大化存储空间。当您在仓库周围搬运货物时，您必须能够轻松顺畅地移动。保持足够的空间，以便在没有障碍物的情况下在叉车和承重机器周围移动。如果您的布局合适，可以将安全隐患降至最低。 创建交通车道并将其分类为进出车道将有助于维持货运流量。如果仓库中的空间有限，请使用基本的道路交通规则或制定一致的行驶规则以防止发生事故。 用合适的工具增强工人能力 使用正确的工具将产生巨大的差异。根据您使用的材料评估所需的不同类型的工具，并选择最有效的工具。 在仓库中加入有效的体重秤，如地板秤，因为它们可显着优化称重过程。它们还有助于提高计费和运输的准确性，从而有助于提高收入和整体生产力。 用提示和培训创造安全的搬运环境 对于整个仓库工作人员而言，重要的是要充分了解如何处理不同的材料，货物和设备，如物料搬运中的输送机。显示在仓库周围不同位置安全处理物料的提示，工人在查询时可以参考。 安排培训课程，让员工可以学习如何使用合适的工具进行各种物料搬运工作，以及处理不同类型货物的正确方法。 货物发运处理的战略策略 如果您手动处理货件，请将它们放在易于访问的位置。确保放置位置使处理者避免弯曲或到达头顶。这有助于消除由于重复动作而导致的伤害。 在制定发运布局时，请考虑以下几个方面： 正在处理的货物数量：小批量或大批量 托盘尺寸和托盘货架系统的深度 使用库存轮换的方法 维护拣货设备 确保处理设备维护良好并定期维护。这使它们保持良好状态并减少整体停机时间。像设备在自动化输送机，堆垛机，街头包装等，都需要有计划的维护和定期检查。确保您可以轻松访问维护记录。立即修复小问题而不拖延。 升级当前的拣货技术 消除低效的纸质拣选技术。将当前拣选技术更新为“ Pick-To-Voice”或“Pick-To-Light”或“射频”（RF），以增强您的流程。在决定正确的拣选技术时，考虑诸如SKU位置密度，拣选物品特征或所需吞吐量等因素。 绿色和可持续发展 减少材料处理对环境的影响至关重要，这可以通过回收和重复使用设备来实现。考虑可重复使用的包装，可回收的容器和可回收的包装材料，使操作更环保。 使供应链可持续发展，并鼓励您的员工也这样做。评估其绩效并采取相关行动来解决问题领域。当您的装运单没有装满整辆卡车时，与其他公司合作的简单措施将会有很长的路要走。它不仅可以降低您的燃料成本，还有助于最大限度地减少您的业务对环境的影响。 良好的人工处理和材料处理实践以及良好的文档记录有助于避免工作场所发生事故并改善内部流量。流程和日常运营中的定期调整将提高生产力水平并提高您的利润率。 About the Author: Kevin Hill heads up the marketing efforts at Quality Scales Unlimited in Byron, CA. Besides his day job, he loves to write about the different types of scales and their importance in various industries. He also writes about how to care for and get optimized performance from different scales in different situations. He enjoys spending time with family and going on camping trips.