Whether you work in an office, a retail store, a warehouse, production line, or construction site, the workspace everyone shares is vitally important. Not just how it looks and how it accommodates employee needs. It can also have a drastic effect on the workflow and inventory management of the business. Get sloppy with your workplace and you will be dealing with less space to use, more clutter, and a workflow that slows because of reduced capacity.
The flow of inventory
At the most fundamental level, you have to make sure that your inward and outward flow of inventory is working fast enough to meet the demands of the business. For instance, if you don’t have a proper shipping and packaging system setup to promptly fulfil orders, then you will be dealing with a bottleneck as more orders go through only to wait to be delivered. Lacking a timely delivery system is naturally going to cause some of your customers to lose faith in the business. One more aspect of inventory that needs to be taken into account is maintaining an efficient supply, as well. Over-supply yourself and you’re using space for inventory that might not get shifted for a long time.
Such a waste
Your inventory aren’t the only physical assets that keep moving through the business, either. Whether it’s packaging, lost goods, or other used assets, every business is going to have physical waste to deal with. In retail, construction, packing, and manufacturing businesses, that waste can grow at a rapid degree. If you’re not using timely waste disposal services, you’re going to have to start using space to contain those materials that do literally nothing for the business. If you allow them to pile up outside your presence, you could find your business getting in some legal trouble, too. Consider those services who can help deal with your recyclable goods like paper and cardboard at the same time.
Conquer the clutter
What you consider waste is likely going to be moved to an area specifically for it. However, it’s all too easy for a business to let little bits of clutter build up where it shouldn’t. This clutter isn’t necessarily waste waiting to be disposed of. It can be perfectly useful materials just left in the wrong place. Clutter is not only unsightly and distracting. It can be seriously dangerous in the wrong circumstances. For instance, if walkways and stock areas used to transport goods are cluttered, it leaves a real tripping hazard that could injure someone. Deal with congestion by making sure you set rules on where materials can and cannot be placed. Make it a rule to immediately dispose of or properly file away any materials left in the workspace.
You need a structured approach to dealing with the physical space of the organization. You need to stop the encroachment of physical waste and clutter and you have to make sure inventory has the space to flow in and out of the business without issue. Otherwise, you will never see your business reach peak performance.