Warehouse Optimization Strategies for Reducing Costs

Efficiency and flexibility are pillars of any successful workflow. In operations, these mainstays factor into everything from worker productivity and throughput, cycle times, and precision in dock-to-stock, order picking, and fulfillment – all which impact the bottom line.

Particularly when demands surge from a disruption (e.g., a pandemic) or during seasonal peaks, inefficiencies are exaggerated and can limit the ability to scale operations. But you don’t have to be an industry giant to be able to streamline your operations like one.

Identifying “waste” in a facility of any size is the first step to eliminating it. While people and buildings are fixed operational costs, infrastructure and processes are fluid.

Finding efficiencies in these areas can make a significant impact on costs and profit margin – in many cases without requiring big investments in time, budget, or fancy software. Simply reducing the physical number of steps an employee takes to fill an order, for instance, can add up to significant cost- and time-savings.