Now that the holidays are over, it’s a great time to prepare for next year’s holiday rush. While the memories of this busy season are still fresh, take a moment to reflect on what you can do to improve for next time. Some companies do 50 percent of business in the last quarter of the year. If your warehouse has an increase towards the end of the year, you need to do everything you can to improve your process when busy holiday season strikes.
Learn from data
Use data analytics to learn about your customers’ habits during the holidays. Did you notice an increase in certain areas or orders? Examine your data and review what worked and what didn’t work, so you know where to focus your time and energy next year. What increased? What could you need more of next year? You can learn from past mistakes to prepare and get it right next time around.
Review layout
Review the layout for all areas of your warehouse. Shipping, receiving and inventory need to be ready for higher volume. Areas you should pay attention to are the organization and the flow of traffic and storage capacity. Did the layout of your floor work or was it too crowded? Make sure you have room for the inventory increase you will see before the next holiday rush.
Additional staff
When you have a higher volume to meet, you sometimes have to increase your staff to meet demand. Were you properly staffed this season? Calculate your staffing needs for each day to make sure you will meet your goals next season. Did you offer a holiday bonus for seasonal workers to stay on? If you do need extra help for busy season, contact a staffing company to provide additional workers.
Maintenance check ups
A rush of business also means extra use of your equipment. Did your software support the influx of orders? Take note and make sure all of your machines are up to date with repairs and working correctly before a busy season approaches. If you use software, make sure your software vendors have 24/7 support for you when you will need it most. Having all your pieces and parts in tip-top shape is essential to handle a busy holiday time.
Make notes of all these things and have them ready to go next year and your shop floor will be running smoothly when the holidays hit.
