Warehouse receiving becomes essential as a business grows. Without a proper warehouse receiving system, stock control is difficult to manage and this can cause an increase in costs. Warehouse receiving leaves an impact on different parts of the supply chain including packaging and shipping.
Before we study how the warehouse receiving process works, we should be aware of what warehouse receiving is. It is the primary stage of ecommerce selling. Warehouse receiving is the collective name given to the process of delivering, unloading, and storing the products. This process is completed in a warehouse receiving center. It will make the process easier and more efficient.
Warehouse Receiving Process
Warehouse receiving is not as easy as it sounds. It; ‘s not just that you have to purchase inventory and transport it to the warehouse. An efficient warehouse receiver process maintains the efficiency and accuracy of the process.
Documentation
The first step is not purchasing an inventory. A lot lies before this step. The business owner makes a plan of the quantity of items required, their transport mechanism, and the containers or cartons required to transport this type of item. They make calculations about the required number of containers. Acceptable package weights and sizes are determined to prevent losses.
If a third-party company is involved with you, the warehouse has to fulfill its receiving requirements as each of them has its regulations. They give you details about how to send inventory to the warehouse. Warehouse receiving order is a form that should be filled out before transportation. It has been developed as it is much easier to ensure the accuracy of the process.
Receiving
The warehouse contains a separate area assigned for the unloading of transporting vehicles. When a shipment is scheduled to arrive, warehouse receiving staff should be present before its arrival. They will take the necessary information from the driver regarding the products.
The transporting vehicle should be parked in a reverse manner to make it easier for the staff to unload the items. There’s no need to move the cargo here and there. In some cases, when heavy equipment needs to be unloaded, machines are required. Good warehouses have already arranged these machines before the arrival of cargo.
Confirmation
Separate staff has been allocated to keep a check on all the items being received in the warehouse. They keep a record of the number of products, their weight, and their quality. They cross-check the information present on the cargo to what is present in the containers.
The second cross-checked GIS with the list they had gotten from the company. It prevents any loss of an item or trouble arising later. If any item is damaged, it is immediately reported to the company and the matter is dealt with efficiently. The process of unloading and checking takes time. This issue is controlled by allocating different staff members for each operation.
Storage
The next step after unloading all the items is their proper storage. For this, all the items are first classified or arranged into different categories based on their weights or sizes.
The place of storage is also dependent on the size or the type of item being stored. Some common places are shelves and band palettes. A list of the items being stored is created to maintain efficiency. This list also includes the number of areas where they are being stored.
What are The Benefits of Warehouse Receiving?
Accuracy
It’s easier to displace an item when you have a lot to manage with it. This possibly is eradicated when you choose a warehouse to keep your items. They have a record of the number of products being stored and will notify you when a product is in its last numbers. This way you can prevent a shortage of your items.
Stock Counts
Warehouse receiving values the satisfaction of your customers. They prevent your customers from getting frustrated or leaving your company. This happens because you maintain an average stock counter for all products. Any shortage of an item or inventory is immediately notified and the issue is resolved.
At times, companies keep on creating a product while it is not being sold. This is also removed when you have warehouse storage. The staff keeps a check on the number of items, to prevent overstocking or understocking of anything. Storing large amounts of products can result in their expression and eventually financial loss.
Efficient Systems
A good warehouse aids you in storing, managing, and tracking your products. They will prevent financial losses by maintaining an efficient record and having lower shipment costs. It can also help to improve the transit times. They provide instructions about how to receive, pack, or ship products.