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The 3 Best Ways To Improve Efficiency At Your Fulfillment Center

By | RoundShark Team

There really is only one proper way to run a fulfillment center and that is efficiently. If it is not being run efficiently then a lot of money is being wasted and potential being unfulfilled. This is because the entire operation has to be a well oiled machine from managing inventory to packing and then the shipping process.  If not, then you could easily be beat out by the competition.

It is important to make an evaluation and try to determine where there is the possibility of improving your processes to become more efficient. Once you’ve identified them then you can begin refining things and making improvements. To help you get started, this article will go over some of the common ways that you can make your fulfillment company more efficient.

1 – Use the right software

Thanks to advances in AI (artificial intelligence) and the IoT (Internet of Things), there is a system that can be used for just about every industry that smooths out the processes to be more efficient. The IoT has been especially helpful for industries related to shipping such as fulfillment centers. This is because when devices can communicate with each other, it removes a lot of bottlenecks and human error.

For instance, with the right software, a fulfillment center can have scanners that automatically scan an item as it enters the facility. This automatically updates the inventory without it needing to be manually entered by a human. Every step of the process is then scanned and automatically updated.

When the package is picked it gets registered and then when it leaves the facility it will be removed automatically from the inventory. It all hinges on RFID codes and the ability of devices to communicate with each other.

When you add AI into the equation, then more units can be ordered automatically when the system believes there is need for it based on predictions. This takes a lot of the risk of bad decisions being made out of the hands of people.

2 – Have a diverse supply chain

Right now there are many bottlenecks happening due to the supply chain being disrupted. This is affecting just about every fulfillment center since getting the units is more difficult due to these disruptions. This is why diversifying your supply partners is the best way to mitigate the problems.

It is helpful to have different suppliers so if one is in difficulty there will be another to pick up the slack. Also, having multiple fulfillment centers located in different areas of the country helps to make sure that shipping is not slowed down.

3 – Run an audit

Once you’ve done these things you may feel like you are running at peak efficiency. There is always room for improvement so it is a good idea to run an audit of the company to make sure that you have all the bases covered.

Look for times when there have been delays for instance, and determine what could be done better to avoid the same problems next time.

 

 

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