As professional warehouse managers we have to be cognizant about, not only what we communicate, but how we communicate pertinent information to our team. Our clerks and supporting staff should always be kept informed of any news or information that directly affect their day to day operations, where the department stands in reference to reaching department goals, or the future operations of the organization. So what are some ways of sharing such information?
I would recommend starting with an easy to understand, yet informative, warehouse communication board. This will give your staff a quick point of reference about department performance in a non intrusive way. Wouldn't you agree that your staff would be more interested and more excited about reaching department goals if they knew how the department was doing?For example an easy metrics to start graphing and displaying on your communication board is a simple shipping errors graph. I would be willing to bet it feels like the entire organization knows when a shipping error has occurred but no one, except perhaps you, can tell the organization how many shipments went off without a hitch. A simple bar graph, easily created in excel, can give you a pictorial representation of how well your department
does it's job.
The purpose of this board should not be to highlight errors, it should be to keep the department, and anyone who should notice, informed about what and how your team is doing. It should highlight your warehouse team's efficiency, accuracy, and overall contribution to the organization's goal.
In the past I have incorporated a communication board when shipping errors seemed to be high. I posted a simple graph and set a goal for my team. 100% accuracy for 30 days earned lunch for the department. Not surprisingly everyone was gathered around the board each morning when I would post the new graph. We made a fun event out of the unveiling of the information. We took a negative issue caused by lack of attention to detail and turned it into a positive team building event.
Take a moment and decide what metrics would be beneficial to track and post. I already mentioned shipping errors, but you could track picking errors verses orders picked, packages received, packages shipped, and so on. This information is not only informative to your warehouse department but could also come in very handy for an operations manger or other department head.
Make sure you place your board in a location that would be optimal for your team, but also available for others in the organization to view. Ensure your information and graphs are easy to understand so any layman could understand the message or information you're displaying. Update your board often and then watch as your department becomes more interested in their own stats. Your team will strive to improve when they know the score.
Like what you read? Find my past blog post here:
http://thepallet-jack.blogspot.com/
Feedback is always welcomed!
My name is Matt Austin. I am a Professional Warehouse Manager. I greatly enjoy all areas of warehouse process improvement, and sharing ideas. Please feel free to contact me with any warehouse situations you may be experiencing for some outside perspective. Thank you for reading!
The purpose of this board should not be to highlight errors, it should be to keep the department, and anyone who should notice, informed about what and how your team is doing. It should highlight your warehouse team's efficiency, accuracy, and overall contribution to the organization's goal.
In the past I have incorporated a communication board when shipping errors seemed to be high. I posted a simple graph and set a goal for my team. 100% accuracy for 30 days earned lunch for the department. Not surprisingly everyone was gathered around the board each morning when I would post the new graph. We made a fun event out of the unveiling of the information. We took a negative issue caused by lack of attention to detail and turned it into a positive team building event.
Take a moment and decide what metrics would be beneficial to track and post. I already mentioned shipping errors, but you could track picking errors verses orders picked, packages received, packages shipped, and so on. This information is not only informative to your warehouse department but could also come in very handy for an operations manger or other department head.
Make sure you place your board in a location that would be optimal for your team, but also available for others in the organization to view. Ensure your information and graphs are easy to understand so any layman could understand the message or information you're displaying. Update your board often and then watch as your department becomes more interested in their own stats. Your team will strive to improve when they know the score.
Like what you read? Find my past blog post here:
http://thepallet-jack.blogspot.com/
Feedback is always welcomed!
My name is Matt Austin. I am a Professional Warehouse Manager. I greatly enjoy all areas of warehouse process improvement, and sharing ideas. Please feel free to contact me with any warehouse situations you may be experiencing for some outside perspective. Thank you for reading!
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