Notes

5 Things to Keep in Mind when Designing Your Warehouse Packing Station

supply chain as a service packing station is the area where all the orders get ready for dispatch. It is a very important place in a warehouse as the efficiency of employees and the time consumed for completing tasks are somewhere dependent on this station. Here are 5 things to keep in mind when designing your warehouse packing station.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study of individuals in their working environment. The warehouse packing station should be designed keeping ergonomics in mind as this will help employees to be more effective and efficient in their work.

Let’s take an example. Adjustable-height surfaces where the employee can adjust the platform according to their height and comfort level help the employees to be more efficient in their tasks. This also will help prevent any health-related issues and prolonged injuries, and your employees won’t have to strain by overreaching for items.

Accessibility

When designing your warehouse packing station, accessibility should also be considered. Accessibility of everything in one place will help the employees in spending less time looking for tools they need and also avoid accidents. As warehouses are equipped with heavy machinery which operates throughout the premises, there is a chance for accidents. If the items or tools the employee needs, like scanners, shopping labels, adhesives, padding, tapes, boxes of various sizes, etc., are accessible it helps them to complete their tasks faster and decreases the chance of injury.

Item Characteristics

The characteristics of the items, or the attributes of each stock-keeping unit (SKU), should also be taken into account when designing a warehouse packing station. Because not all goods are created/designed equally, the packing stations should be adaptable to the various weights and dimensions of different SKUs. A lift table should be installed so that it is easy to lift large products from the floor to the packaging table.

In order to speed up the packing process, a warehouse manager should segregate picked orders and divide them into different warehouse packing stations. For example, large items could easily clog a packing station, therefore separate stations should be made to keep bulky or large items in one area and smaller items in another so it is easy to work.

SKUs that require personalized packaging should be routed to a separate packing station rather than being mixed in with other items, as this could cause a bottleneck. Furthermore, because personalized packaging takes longer than standard packing, a warehouse manager should allocate a different employee to this duty.

Mobility

Mobility is another important factor to keep in mind when designing your warehouse packing station, as moving the warehouse packing station is easy and convenient as it can be moved to where it is needed.

Let’s take an example: If there is a need for renovation in the warehouse, then having a mobile packing station can prevent work disruption. In this case, it can boost productivity and reduce downtime.

Space

Every warehouse packing station should consider the space required as these spaces can quickly become congested or blocked with people and bulky items. A warehouse packing station should have enough room for people and items not to collide with each other to avoid bottlenecks. Employees working in the packing station should have enough space among them to keep their packed items, but this should not mean keeping too much distance between the two employees, as this might end up with items being too far. Everything should be kept within reach and with enough space to move and not collide.

Summary

Small things, such as ensuring that an employee is at ease in the packing station, are necessary to prevent the packing process from slowing down. Furthermore, in order to avoid bottlenecks at a warehouse packing station, proper planning and preparation are essential. Every warehouse manager should consider how to transform a packing station into a more productive workspace. These points should be kept in mind before making any changes or designing a warehouse packing station.
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