With all the talk of COVID-19 and its impact on our industry, it’s important to remember those tasks that “we never have time for”.
All Production Rental and AV providers have a warehouse (or warehouses) full of inventory … it’s the lifeblood of our businesses. When it comes to warehouse organization, there are three types of rental companies:
“Better Homes and Gardens”
“Our warehouse looks great when we’re not busy”
“This building was nice before we moved in”
Regardless of which type of company you work for, there’s always room for improvement and slower periods are a great time to get started or caught up. Here are five easy steps to improve your warehouse operation:
1. Clean, clean, clean. Clean floors, QC areas, and workspaces lead to clean cases (not to mention the equipment inside), organized work boxes, equal-sized coils, clear labeling, and other seemingly insignificant details that are noticed by your clients and others through brand influence.
Tip: “Culture Walks” around your facility are a great way for managers to point out specific areas that need extra attention. Don’t forget – clean trucks, parking lots, and offices enhance your brand too.
2. QC as equipment is returned and store everything in “Rental Ready” condition. This takes a lot of dedication from your warehouse team but dramatically reduces prep time and makes pulling last-minute orders a breeze. It also identifies missing/damaged equipment early which avoids expedited shipping, weekend shifts, cross rentals, and other unnecessary expenses.
3. Physical inventory shouldn’t be reserved for December. If the majority of your inventory in in your warehouse it can be counted! Focusing on one department or one category of equipment will help maintain organization and splitting up the process over time will reduce everyone’s stress leading into holiday vacations.
4. Develop a culture of processes, responsibility, and completion. It’s difficult to hold someone accountable for a project that doesn’t have a written description or deadline. First things first … document the process, associated tasks, and a reasonable timeline to complete it. If an assigned task isn’t completed ontime, make sure it was understood and realistic. If not, revised the documentation and try again.
Tip: It’s a manager’s job to remove obstacles and ensure successful outcomes. “Constructive Criticism” without helpful action does not improve processes and decreases overall productivity.
5. Last but not least … training. Most companies lack a formal training program but that doesn’t diminish its importance. If you can afford to send techs to a third-party training facility, do it. They’ll appreciate the opportunity and be proud to work for a company that invests in its employees. If you can’t afford specialized courses, consider cross-training similar positions (example: shipping/receiving specialist and inventory control specialist – both are warehouse techs but have different areas of expertise).
Of course, these steps only addresses your warehouse operation. Additional lists should be developed for your administration and sales folks too. There’s always something to do until the next wave of business rushes in!
At Encompass, we have unique backgrounds that situate us perfectly to produce high end and complex offerings. We’ve worked in broadcast television, touring entertainment, live sporting events, and countless convention facilities across the country.
We have technical design experience and a disciplined process in place that allows us to easily scale events and shift from in-person to virtual without angst. There isn’t much that’s beyond our scope and we love the intensity of putting on events!
If you’re a planner working to create an event, seeking help with virtual event technology, or simply want to learn more … we can help! Sign up below to receive our updates (we promise to keep your contact information secure and won’t “overshare”).