Almost 90 per cent of a warehouse picker’s time is spent travelling – which is why it’s crucial for direct-to-consumer businesses to maximise the efficiency of their pick and pack operation.

Implementing innovative e-commerce solutions, fulfilling orders and improving customer satisfaction should be at the forefront of any firm responsible for shipping orders straight to a shopper’s door.

So, with this in mind, we’ve compiled our list of top tips designed to make your warehouse’s pick and pack process more efficient AND economical.

Optimise your layout

A vital aspect of running a well-organised warehouse is a logical layout. Although it may be common sense, it’s crucial to arrange picking areas so your top sellers are closest to the packing area. Not only does this increase productivity within the warehouse, it reduces the amount of time it takes for a picker to get the customer’s order ready for shipping – and that’s never a bad thing. 

Organise picking areas

The shelves of your warehouse should be optimised to enable quick, precise and efficient picking. Ensuring the area is easily accessible to your pickers will make their job ten times easier as a neatly organised space allows for rapid product selection. 

Sort out your packaging

Organisation really is the watchword when it comes to streamlining the pick and pack process – and that includes your packaging. Packers dragging their feet over which box to use for which product is likely to slow everything down; that’s why it pays to have a variety of package sizes that will fit your products/average order size without being overly large or a strange shape. Not only will this approach save valuable time, but it can also save on the costs of shipping. 

Pre-assemble products if possible

Assembling products into a ready to ship package is an ideal way to streamline your picking and packing. For e-commerce retailers selling items in bulk, or offer products often sold together, this method is extremely effective. In addition, the amount of time and materials needed to pack the order is greatly reduced.

If you feel your company would benefit from learning more about e-commerce solutions, get in touch with us today.