Strategies that Improve Labor Performance in the Warehouse, According to QC Software

CINCINNATI - July 21, 2014 - PRLog -- Smart companies invest in people like they invest in equipment. Both are expensive. Both require planning and maintenance to ensure a good fit. Both are necessary for a successful business.

All companies experience employee turnover. People move on to pursue other opportunities. Some relocate due to their spouse’s transfer. While some turnover is inevitable, there is a considerable cost to replacing workers.  Companies are spending money and resources to manage the separation process, recruit and train new people, provide off-site training, etc. Then there is the loss in productivity and disruption in work flow until new workers learn their jobs.

Top performing distributors are finding ways to minimize this issue.  The solution involves investing in the employee. This begins with the screening process to hire people with the right qualifications and a strong training program to improve retention. Managers should review and adjust hiring and training practices using performance data as a guideline.  Many distributors train employees on a number of tasks in the warehouse so they can more easily respond to issues that may arise.

“Hands-on warehouse managers can have a positive influence on worker performance. While spending time on the floor, managers understand the operation, observe how departments interact, and more easily find improvement opportunities.  An effective manager takes the opportunity to coach the workers, listen to their issues, and promote a feeling of inclusion,” states Rich Hite, President of QC Software, a leader in Tier-1 Warehouse Control Systems.

Distributors should implement best practices to simplify work processes. Labor management software provides the data to establish productivity trends. Managers can use this information to develop standards and determine if an individual is meeting company goals. These metrics allow managers to improve resource allocation and training programs.

There are many kinds of incentives that promote a high-performance environment. One example is company recognition for a job well done.  Offering monetary incentives, new opportunities, and pay raises improve job satisfaction. When the employee exceeds goals, the company saves money with productivity gains and can pass some of that on to the worker.

QC Software is recognized as an industry leader in providing innovative and adaptive software solutions for order fulfillment and distribution centers. Their Tier-1 Warehouse Control System provides advanced management capabilities for inventory control, resource scheduling, and order management. For over eighteen years, these solutions have enabled customers throughout North America to streamline their warehouse operations with one of the lowest total cost of ownerships in the industry.  Distributors realize increased system productivity and dependability.