Do you want to make your warehouse more efficient in 2024? If so, you are not alone. Warehouse efficiency is a key factor that determines the success of any business that involves storing, moving, and delivering goods. However, achieving warehouse efficiency is not an easy task, especially in the face of changing customer demands, market trends, and technological innovations. In this article, we will explore some of the best practices and strategies that can help you make your warehouse more efficient in 2024 and beyond, such as using pallet dispensers and loaders, dividing your warehouse into zones, optimizing your supply chain operations, and more. Read on to find out how you can lower your costs, increase your profits, and satisfy your customers with a well-organized and optimized warehouse.

1. Divide Your Warehouse into Zones

A great way to improve warehouse efficiency is to divide your warehouse into zones based on the type, size, and frequency of the products that you store and move. Zoning your warehouse can help you optimize the layout, flow, and accessibility of your inventory, as well as reduce travel time and distance for your workers and equipment. For example, you can create zones for fast-moving, slow-moving, bulky, fragile, or seasonal products, and assign them to different locations, shelves, or bins in your warehouse. You can also create zones for different functions, such as receiving, picking, packing, shipping, or returns, and arrange them in a logical and sequential order.

2. Implement Pallet Dispensers and Loaders

A pallet dispenser is a device that automatically stacks and dispenses pallets, eliminating the need for manual handling and storage. A pallet dispenser can work in conjunction with a pallet loader, which is a device that automatically loads and unloads pallets onto and from trucks, trailers, or conveyors. By using a pallet dispenser and a pallet loader, you can improve the efficiency, safety, and ergonomics of your warehouse operations. According to research conducted by Yarbrough Industries, a pallet dispenser can save up to 900 minutes of total labor per day, compared to a manual pallet stacking and dispensing system. This translates to a significant reduction in labor and transportation costs, as well as an increase in productivity and profitability. Therefore, a pallet dispenser is an important and valuable asset for any warehouse that deals with a large volume of pallets. If you are looking for a reliable and cost-effective pallet dispenser for your warehouse, you might want to check out our website. We have a wide range of pallet dispensers that can meet your specific needs and preferences. You can also contact us for a free consultation and quote, and we will be happy to help you find the best solution for your warehouse.

Pallet Dispenser

 

Pallet loaders are devices that automatically load and unload pallets onto and from trucks, trailers, or conveyors, reducing labor and transportation costs. By implementing pallet dispensers and loaders, you can save space, time, and money, as well as improve safety and ergonomics in your warehouse.

 

3. Optimize Your Supply Chain Operations

Your warehouse efficiency is not only affected by what happens inside your warehouse, but also by what happens outside your warehouse, such as your suppliers, customers, and carriers. Therefore, it is important to optimize your supply chain operations and ensure that they are aligned with your warehouse goals and capabilities. For example, you can negotiate better terms and prices with your suppliers, streamline your ordering and replenishment processes, monitor and track your inventory levels and movements, communicate and collaborate with your customers and carriers, and leverage data and analytics to identify and resolve any issues or bottlenecks in your supply chain.

4. Adopt the FIFO Inventory Method

The FIFO (first-in, first-out) inventory method is a simple and effective way to manage your inventory and ensure that your products are fresh and up-to-date. The FIFO method means that the products that are received first are also sold or shipped first, and the products that are received last are sold or shipped last. This way, you can avoid having expired, damaged, or obsolete products in your warehouse, as well as reduce inventory holding costs and waste. The FIFO method is especially suitable for perishable, seasonal, or trendy products, or products that have a limited shelf life or warranty period.

 

5. Use Digital Picklists and Barcode Scanning

One of the most critical and labor-intensive processes in a warehouse is picking, which involves locating and retrieving the products that are needed for an order. Picking can be made faster and easier by using digital picklists and barcode scanning. Digital picklists are electronic lists that display the products, quantities, and locations that are required for an order, and can be accessed through handheld devices, such as tablets or smartphones. Barcode scanning is a technology that uses optical scanners to read and capture the information that is encoded in barcodes, such as product names, SKUs, or serial numbers. By using digital picklists and barcode scanning, you can eliminate paper-based lists and manual data entry, as well as reduce errors, mistakes, and misplacements in your picking process.

6. Invest in Warehouse Management Software

Warehouse management software (WMS) is a software application that helps you plan, control, and optimize the operations and resources in your warehouse. WMS can provide you with various features and functions, such as inventory management, order management, warehouse layout design, labor management, performance measurement, reporting, and integration with other systems, such as ERP, CRM, or TMS. By investing in WMS, you can automate and streamline your warehouse processes, increase your visibility and accuracy, enhance your decision making and problem solving, and improve your customer service and satisfaction.

7. Offer Incentive Pay to Your Workers

Your workers are the backbone of your warehouse, and their motivation, engagement, and productivity can have a significant impact on your warehouse efficiency. One of the ways to motivate and reward your workers is to offer them incentive pay, which is a form of compensation that is based on their performance, output, or results, rather than their hours, seniority, or qualifications. Incentive pay can take various forms, such as bonuses, commissions, profit sharing, or stock options. By offering incentive pay to your workers, you can encourage them to work harder, faster, and smarter, as well as increase their loyalty, retention, and satisfaction.

Man welding metal

 

 

8. Provide Fast Shipping Options to Your Customers

In today’s competitive and dynamic market, customers expect fast and reliable delivery of their orders, and are willing to pay more or switch to another vendor if their expectations are not met. Therefore, it is essential to provide fast shipping options to your customers, such as same-day, next-day, or two-day delivery, and ensure that you can fulfill them consistently and accurately. By providing fast shipping options to your customers, you can increase your sales, revenue, and market share, as well as improve your customer loyalty, retention, and referrals.

9. Organize Your Warehouse Regularly

One of the simplest and most effective ways to improve warehouse efficiency is to organize your warehouse regularly and keep it clean and tidy. Organizing your warehouse means that you arrange your products, equipment, and materials in a logical and orderly manner, and label them clearly and correctly. Organizing your warehouse also means that you remove any clutter, debris, or unnecessary items that may obstruct your workflow, space, or safety. By organizing your warehouse regularly, you can improve your inventory accuracy, accessibility, and visibility, as well as reduce your risk of accidents, injuries, or damages.

10. Apply the ABC Analysis Method to Your Inventory

The ABC analysis method is a technique that helps you classify your inventory into three categories based on their value, importance, or frequency, and allocate your resources and attention accordingly. The three categories are:

  • A: The most valuable, important, or frequent products that account for a large percentage of your sales, revenue, or profit, but a small percentage of your inventory. These products should be given the highest priority and attention, and stored in the most accessible and secure locations in your warehouse.
  • B: The moderately valuable, important, or frequent products that account for a moderate percentage of your sales, revenue, or profit, and a moderate percentage of your inventory. These products should be given a medium priority and attention, and stored in the less accessible and secure locations in your warehouse.
  • C: The least valuable, important, or frequent products that account for a small percentage of your sales, revenue, or profit, but a large percentage of your inventory. These products should be given the lowest priority and attention, and stored in the most remote and least secure locations in your warehouse.

By applying the ABC analysis method to your inventory, you can optimize your inventory management, reduce your inventory costs, and increase your inventory turnover.

11. Use High-Quality Equipment and Tools

The quality of your equipment and tools can affect your warehouse efficiency, as well as your safety and reliability. Therefore, it is important to use high-quality equipment and tools that are suitable for your warehouse needs and operations, and maintain them regularly and properly. For example, you should use high-quality forklifts, pallet jacks, conveyors, racks, shelves, bins, carts, scanners, printers, and software, and ensure that they are in good working condition and updated with the latest features and functions. By using high-quality equipment and tools, you can improve your speed, accuracy, and productivity, as well as reduce your downtime, repairs, and replacements.

Using pallet jack

 

Conclusion

The quality of your equipment and tools can affect your warehouse efficiency, as well as your safety and reliability. Therefore, it is important to use high-quality equipment and tools that are suitable for your warehouse needs and operations, and maintain them regularly and properly. For example, you should use high-quality forklifts, pallet jacks, conveyors, racks, shelves, bins, carts, scanners, printers, and software, and ensure that they are in good working condition and updated with the latest features and functions. By using high-quality equipment and tools, you can improve your speed, accuracy, and productivity, as well as reduce your downtime, repairs, and replacements.

 

Ready to talk to a warehouse efficiency expert?

Maintenance managers play a crucial role in the efficient operation of industrial facilities. However, they face several challenges that can make their job difficult. Common challenges include dealing with unexpected breakdowns and sourcing a reliable repair partner. At Yarbrough Industries, we know a thing or two about both topics.

Optimizing Warehouse Operations Through Predictive Maintenance

Warehouse operations rely heavily on equipment and machinery to function efficiently. However, breakdowns and repairs can cause costly downtime and productivity losses. One solution to this challenge is implementing a predictive maintenance program. This program uses data analytics and machine learning to predict when equipment is likely to fail, allowing maintenance to be scheduled before the equipment fails. By optimizing maintenance schedules, warehouse operations can minimize downtime and increase productivity.

Finding a Reliable Partner in Industrial Maintenance

Maintaining industrial equipment and machinery is a complex and demanding job, and it requires a reliable partner to provide quality services and parts. Yarbrough Industries is a trusted name in the industrial sector, with decades of experience providing comprehensive maintenance solutions. We understand the challenges faced by maintenance managers and offer cost-effective and efficient solutions to keep your facility running smoothly. 

Our expert team provides emergency repairs and complete projects quickly and accurately, in addition to keeping your team equipped with the necessary tools and parts to work efficiently. By partnering with us, you can increase your facility capacity without increasing overhead.

Whether you’re looking to implement a predictive maintenance program or searching for a reliable partner to handle your maintenance needs, we have the expertise and experience to provide the highest quality services and products.

Ready to talk to a maintenance management expert?

Maintenance operations can be a significant challenge for companies, especially when operating a tight budget. Maintenance managers responsible for manufacturing or warehouse operations must balance the responsibilities of keeping the equipment running smoothly and efficiently, minimizing downtime, and keeping costs under control. While it may seem daunting to achieve all these goals simultaneously, there are strategies that can be implemented.

Maintenance operations are a crucial aspect of any business, and failure to manage them effectively can have costly consequences. For instance, equipment breakdowns and unplanned downtime can significantly impact productivity, leading to lost revenue and increased expenses. On the other hand, performing excessive maintenance can also be expensive, and unnecessary maintenance can drain resources that could be used elsewhere in the business. Maintenance managers must strike a balance between minimizing downtime, reducing costs, and optimizing equipment performance.

Develop a Comprehensive Maintenance Plan

To effectively manage maintenance operations, companies must develop a comprehensive maintenance plan that outlines the maintenance requirements for each piece of equipment, establishes a regular maintenance schedule, and identifies the necessary resources for completing the maintenance tasks. A comprehensive maintenance plan can help companies save time and money by reducing the risk of unexpected equipment breakdowns and minimizing downtime. Additionally, it can help companies extend the life of their equipment and improve overall performance. A well-executed maintenance plan can also help companies prioritize maintenance tasks and allocate resources more efficiently, reducing the risk of overspending or wasting valuable resources.

A comprehensive maintenance plan should include the following elements:

  1. List of equipment: Identify all the equipment that requires maintenance, including its specifications, age, and condition.

  2. Maintenance schedule: Establish a regular maintenance schedule for each piece of equipment based on manufacturer recommendations, usage patterns, and environmental factors.

  3. Maintenance tasks: Identify the specific maintenance tasks required for each piece of equipment, including inspections, cleaning, lubrication, and repair/replacement of parts.

  4. Maintenance procedures: Develop procedures for each maintenance task, including instructions for completing the task, safety precautions, and the necessary tools and materials.

  5. Maintenance personnel: Identify the personnel responsible for completing each maintenance task, including their roles and responsibilities, training requirements, and scheduling.

  6. Maintenance records: Keep accurate records of all maintenance activities, including the date, time, task, personnel, and equipment involved. These records can help track equipment performance, identify recurring issues, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

  7. Budget: Develop a budget for maintenance activities, including the costs of materials, labor, and outside services. Regularly review the budget to ensure that maintenance costs are in line with business objectives and adjust as needed.

  8. Continuous improvement: Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the maintenance plan and look for opportunities to improve equipment performance, reduce costs, and increase efficiency. This can involve using new technologies, implementing best practices, and soliciting feedback from maintenance personnel and equipment operators.

Prioritize Maintenance Tasks

As a maintenance manager, you must prioritize maintenance tasks based on their importance and urgency. Some tasks, such as safety inspections, must be performed regularly and take priority over other maintenance that can wait. Prioritizing maintenance tasks allows you to focus on the critical aspects of equipment maintenance while still managing costs.

Optimize Equipment Performance

Optimizing equipment performance is another strategy for balancing maintenance operations. Regular equipment maintenance can help identify and fix potential issues before they cause significant problems. Performing upgrades and retrofits can help improve equipment efficiency and reduce maintenance costs in the long run.

Balancing maintenance operations on tight budgets can be a challenge. However, by developing a comprehensive maintenance plan, prioritizing maintenance tasks, and optimizing equipment performance, maintenance managers can minimize downtime, reduce costs, and improve equipment performance. Following these tips and considerations ensures smooth and efficient operations management.

Don’t let maintenance operations hold your business back.

At Yarbrough Industries, we offer a range of services to support your maintenance management needs. Learn how we can help you achieve your maintenance goals while staying within budget.

Finding a vendor is complicated. Finding a vendor you trust is even more complex. Many things play into what builds trust: fast and reliable service, reasonable pricing, and good customer service.

1. Exceptional service

Fast and efficient service is what you will receive when you contact Yarbrough Industries. Once you submit your inquiry, you will receive a quote back from Yarbrough Industries within a day.

Most often, we can respond to an RFQ within 1 hour for in-stock items, and within 3 hours for special orders that we need to research.

2. Trustworthy Pricing

When you choose Yarbrough Industries as your vendor, you aren’t only paying for the part but also for reliable service and availability. Our prices are trustworthy and competitive – even if we’re not the lowest, we’re always the best at what we do. 

3. Reliability

Yarbrough Industries is regionally trusted with local feeling. When you walk into a locally owned store, you KNOW they will have what you need? If they don’t, they will follow through on getting it for you. That’s what it’s like at Yarbrough Industries! You get the local feel across the region wherever YOU are! We have the most extensive inventory and top-of-the-line Yarbrough equipment in the 4-State area. 

Yarbrough Industries is a regionally trusted vendor because of our exceptional service and trustworthy pricing, and you are always treated like a local. Do you want service from a local shop with the capabilities and inventory of a large vendor? If so, then Yarbrough Industries is the vendor for you. 

Need help finding the right hydraulic parts?

At Yarbrough Industries, we have a large selection of hydraulic products and offer diagnostic, testing, repair, and replacement services to help get your operations back up and running in no time.

Whether you work for a large manufacturing company or a smaller facility, if you are responsible for overseeing machine and equipment maintenance, you know how important it is to keep costs down and reduce unscheduled downtime.

Luckily there are a few ways you can minimize equipment service and control repair costs. Here is a closer look at six maintenance cost-reduction strategies you can use.

Monitor Expenses

Monitor Machine Maintenance Expenses

Keeping track of how much you’ve spent on labor, parts, and supplies for specific machines over time will help you determine machines and equipment that cost the most money to operate and maintain. If you find there are machines in need of frequent repair, then you have the information available to make an informed decision when it comes to repairing or replacing.

 If you’re at a loss, a skilled engineer or maintenance technician can help troubleshoot the underlying problem and take corrective action.

 

Create Maintenance Schedules

Create Preventative Maintenance Schedules

While not all equipment breakdowns or repairs are predictable, having a routine preventative maintenance schedule can help keep them minimized by keeping machines operating at their best.

Routine maintenance should involve inspecting various equipment components and ensuring machines are up to the manufacturer’s specifications.You can use the owner’s manual to help create preventative maintenance schedules and stay on top of inspections and routine service.

When it comes to creating preventative maintenance schedules, consider basing them on operating hours rather than on a calendar. Usage times will vary by machine, meaning you could be over or under-servicing your equipment based on actual hours. You can determine if you need to decrease or increase service intervals by periodically reviewing the results.

 

Spend Your Budget Wisely

Spend Maintenance Budget Wisely

Between repairing or replacing a piece of equipment? A good rule of thumb is to weigh repair costs against your machine’s residual value (what you’d get if you sold it today). If repairs cost more than the machine is worth, apply your money toward a new machine with better technology that will last longer. 

When it comes time to replace a piece of equipment, keep in mind investing in a lower-priced machine may end up costing you more in the long run. While higher-quality machines may cost more upfront, they typically require less maintenance work overall if maintained.

 

Optimize Equipment and Parts

Optimize Spare Machine Parts

One of the best ways to keep machine maintenance costs down is to develop a strategy to buy and organize spare parts. If you don’t have spare parts such as hydraulic pumps or hoses in stock, then you run the risk of increasing your average repair time.

Aside from keeping an adequate supply of spare parts handy, it helps to ensure there is a degree of similarity between your machines so you can use them interchangeably. Having the same parts fit many machines is cost-efficient and makes it easier to receive technical assistance from either the manufacturer or a professional service technician.

When it comes to purchasing parts, keep in mind ordering parts in bulk will allow you to negotiate better prices.

 

Train Your Machine Operators

Train Maintenance Staff

In addition to training maintenance supervisors and mechanics on equipment, educating your operators can help keep costs down.

Since operators work directly with the equipment, they are in an ideal position to help identify potential problems and perform more common maintenance tasks such as inspection and lubrication. By training non-maintenance staff, you will have fewer periods of unscheduled downtime and avoid expensive and time-consuming repairs.

 

Contact Qualified Service Technicians

Call Qualified Service Technicians

While having a reliable in-house maintenance staff is ideal, the skills to maintain or repair certain pieces of equipment properly will vary. If a machine goes down, trial and error can be an expensive way to learn how to repair your equipment.

If maintenance or repair seems questionable, make sure to contact qualified technicians trained with the right skills and practices needed to minimize unplanned downtime and repair costs. This will save a lot of headaches and unnecessary costs down the road. 

Need assistance with your machine maintenance or equipment repair?

Our expert technicians provide mobile on-site repair to help get your operations back up and running in no time. 

Metal fabrication is a small part of the metal manufacturing industry. There are many different types of manufacturing processes, including:

  • Forging
  • Smelting
  • Blacksmithing
  • Casting
  • Stamping
  • Painting
  • Roll Forming
  • Heat Treating
  • Structural Fabrication
  • Machining
  • Metal Fabrication

As you can imagine, the wide variety involved in metal manufacturing can be overwhelming. Metal fabrication, by itself, has many subcategories and niches that would be impossible to comprehensively list. Some different categories of metal fabrication you might encounter are heavy industrial plate metal, light industrial sheet metal, heavy structural steel, and light structural steel fabrication.  

Heavy Industrial Plate Metal Fabrication

This type of fabrication might include enormous plate steel, sometimes 1”-4” thick (even heavier) and fabrication processes like plasma cutting, rolling, welding, heat treating, and finishing. Finished products that involve heavy industrial plate metal fabrication might include mining equipment, pressure vessels, and tanks.

Light Industrial Sheet Metal Fabrication

This type could include smaller weighted metal-like materials ranging from 1/32” – 1/2” and fabrication processes like Laser Cutting, Brake Forming, Welding, Anodizing, and Painting. The products produced using this type of fabrication might be Computer Enclosures, Cases, and OEM Parts.

Heavy Structural Steel Fabrication

These fabrication processes are done with sawing cutting, plasma cutting, drilling, welding, sandblasting, and painting. This process deals with structural iron and beams that weigh several hundred pounds or more per foot. You can see the results of heavy structural steel fabrication, check out skyscrapers, large bridges and tunnel supports. 

Light Structural Steel Fabrication

This can include structural tube, angle and beams that weigh less than a hundred pounds per foot.  Fabrication processes would typically be similar to heavy structural steel processes, but the products created would be Small Buildings, Small Bridges, Platforms, and Supports.

Metal Fabrication Versus Machining

Metal fabrication is a term that typically refers to manufacturing that includes cutting, forming, rolling, sawing and welding metal. However, it is not to be confused with machining. There is a bit of crossover with the two, but machining usually includes more detailed work such as milling, lathing, routing, and polishing and is typically a part of the manufacturing industry. 

In addition, fabrication usually works with manufacturing tolerances at .010” – .030” whereas machining works with tolerances all the way down to .005” (and even smaller in many cases). 

Advancements in Metal Fabrication

Metal fabrication, like all manufacturing industries, has transformed over the years as technology has become more advanced. This began with the Computer Numerically Controlled, CNC, machines. These types of machines, combined with Computer Aided Drafting, CAD, revolutionized the metal fabrication industry.

Prior to the invention of CNC and CAD, hand layouts and calculator math were the tools used by craftsmen to layout and calculate fabricated parts. Machines had manual gauges that would be fine-tuned by hand as the technician moved stops, dialed back gauges and tweaked settings.

However, those days are long gone and programs are now generated automatically from CAD drawings and sent, via computer and code, directly to the various machines. Lasers can cut metal like butter, brake forming machines can tell you which order to sequence your bends and robotic welders can weld endless amounts of wire throughout the night. Metal fabrication is still an enormous part of everyday life and most of us see it, or use it, without even knowing as much. Light rail transit cars, automobiles, snowblowers, electrical panels, guardrails, signs, etc. Metal fabrication is everywhere!

Get direct access to industry-leading content

This industry moves fast, but you can move even faster if you’re up to date on trends, technical developments, and best practices. The Yarbrough Industries blog is a go-to source for valuable, timely and detailed information. Sign up to ensure that you don’t miss a single post.

Whether you are in a warehouse, distribution center, or other manufacturing facilities, it is inevitable that you will have pallets for material handling or storing equipment. Although they are generally user-friendly and simple, improper stacking of materials can bring troubles and unforeseen accidents. These might include worker injuries, product damages or property destruction. There are some simple rules that should be followed while stacking pallets. These are also imperative in order for your company to be in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), although this is not a complete list. 

Pallet Stacking: A Quick Guide

Stacking pallets properly not only saves space but also helps eliminate tripping and collision hazards. It helps with organization efficiency as it can also help categorize your goods. By organizing effectively, you, in turn, ease the material storage and transportation activities. 

Stacking pallets carelessly or overly high can lead to collapse, causing injuries or death to those in their vicinity. Here are several measures that can enhance safety and efficiency when it comes to stacking pallets.

  • Ensure that the pallets are durable enough to carry the loads required. It is also important that the pallets are undamaged. 
  • Never stack products with sharp corners or edges on pallets in a way that they could injure people coming near them.
  • Tie any boxed items securely. This can be done with cross-ties or shrink plastic fiber. 
  • Metal pallets should be stored in a clean place and have no protruding nails, holes, splinters, or loose boards.
  • Position your pallets securely to avoid collapsing or sliding when stacking goods on them.
  • Avoid keeping stacked pallets in high-traffic areas.
  • You can stack pallets up to 15 feet high. However, regulations vary based on the type of goods you store on them. 
  • Always stack product on both sides of the pallet. Even distribution is critical for material handling and safety. 
  • If you must stack different products, always stack similar items with uniform size and shape together. 
  • Never overstack a pallet, even if it seems as though there is still room for stacking at its rated capacity. 
  • Always stack the heaviest load at the bottom of the pallet.
  • Maintain sufficient clearance around stacks. This ensures safe handling and easy access.
  • Provide ergonomics training and task-specific training to ensure proper stacking, and utilize a pallet dispenser if available.
  • Never stack goods where they obstruct lighting, electrical panels, or ventilation.
  • It is not advisable to manually lift heavily stacked pallets per OSHA regulations, instead, use a forklift or automated pallet dispenser for lifting.

There are more safety practices that have been formulated by OSHA, and following these practices, as basic as they are, helps prevent damage to life and property. 

If you are interested in learning more about saving your company time and money through safer pallet procedures, please contact Yarbrough Industries today. 

Get direct access to industry-leading content

This industry moves fast, but you can move even faster if you’re up to date on trends, technical developments, and best practices. The Yarbrough Industries blog is a go-to source for valuable, timely and detailed information. Sign up to ensure that you don’t miss a single post.

Every manufacturer dreams of ways to increase productivity, reduce costs, and maximize profits. Every one of those goals can be achieved by increasing efficiency at your manufacturing plant.

Although there is a common idea that increasing efficiency means cutting costs as much as possible, that isn’t always the case. Cutting corners often contributes to a reduction in product quality. However, there are several things any company can do to improve efficiency out in the plant without sacrificing the quality of your products. Check out these methods you can implement to improve efficiency at your manufacturing plant.

1. Evaluation

The first step in any progress is to evaluate and determine what is working or what isn’t. Obviously, you will have a hard time identifying areas that need improvement if you don’t first examine your current workflow. Three main areas can typically determine what changes are needed in your workflow:

Labor

  • Do your employees have the skills to perform the tasks they need to do efficiently and effectively?
  • Have they been achieving your determined objectives?
  • What is the time cost to complete certain jobs?
  • Are there any potential ways to speed up completion time?

Processes

Once you’ve analyzed your labor needs, it’s good to investigate if your processes are the most efficient. This process involves finding out whether the stages in your production typically go as planned. More importantly, looking at your processes can help you discover where the pain points and bottlenecks prevent you from being as efficient as possible. 

Equipment and Technology

The third area you need to evaluate is your equipment and technology. Does all your equipment work properly? Is your technology the most optimal for your current business needs? How easily can you make changes to production? Is there anything you can do to increase efficiency through technology? (Pallet Dispensers are a great investment for this.)

Let’s explore a little more in-depth ways to use your evaluation to improve efficiency in your industry. 

2. Labor

In manufacturing as well as other industries, employee training is an essential and ongoing process. Obviously, training employees on new equipment and technology is the best way to ensure you are enhancing your value in them. Employee training is also an excellent retention tactic because every employee wants to have the opportunity to develop their abilities and reach their full potential. 

That’s why it is important not to limit training and education to only the equipment and technology. Your manufacturing business process will run more smoothly if everyone can understand the company’s policies and the right way to communicate with each other.

3. Processes

Streamlining your processes and ensuring that you are effectively organized can gain you an incredible amount of efficiency. The organization is the key to an efficient workspace. Pay attention to your manufacturing plant, the layout, the spaces for workers and heavy equipment to get in and out, and how each area is used.

A few things you need to check:

  • Are all the tools easy to find?
  • Are staff able to easily pick up all the raw materials or finished goods?
  • Is the packing and shipping area close to where the finished goods are placed?
  • Are the forklifts able to easily move around your manufacturing plant?

Another area to look at when evaluating processes is how much material waste you have. One of the biggest issues and most expensive areas in manufacturing plants is material waste. Here are some ways to reduce it:

  • Decrease materials while packing your products.
  • Recycle, or if you can’t do it yourself, resell the scraps to a recycling center.
  • Utilize all available materials for creating new products

Supply chain management is another zone that is often forgotten when looking at ways to improve efficiency, but it can make an incredible difference. There is no easier way to improve efficiency than automating your business processes. Supply chain management is one of the most important segments in the manufacturing business. However, if the process is still run manually, then optimized efficiency will be difficult to achieve. With sophisticated supply chain management software, you can automate various processes, from tracking inventory across multiple manufacturing plants, setting up inventory levels, ordering raw materials to suppliers, to shipping orders to customers.

4. Equipment

You can have the very best employees, but if your equipment is outdated or doesn’t work properly, it will be a challenge to improve your workplace efficiency. Therefore, it is crucial to invest in modern equipment that allows your processes to run better. Advanced equipment also helps you reduce costs for repairing damage and increasing the productivity of your employees. There are also options for equipment that specifically address efficiency hang-ups, like pallet dispensers.

Obviously, having efficient, modern equipment is a huge way to improve efficiency, but it is also important to keep it maintained. Some equipment may still be used for a longer period of time if treated properly. The new equipment also needs to be maintained so that it can be used to the fullest.  And as you already know, maintaining equipment is far cheaper than replacing it. So, never wait to care for a piece of equipment until it is damaged. A better idea is to conduct preventive maintenance according to the type of equipment regularly. 

Yarbrough Industries is here to help you with that maintenance on hydraulic equipment and more. Contact Us today to see how we can help your company operate more efficiently.

Get direct access to industry-leading content

This industry moves fast, but you can move even faster if you’re up to date on trends, technical developments, and best practices. The Yarbrough Industries blog is a go-to source for valuable, timely and detailed information. Sign up to ensure that you don’t miss a single post.

Many people ask how a pallet dispenser would benefit their industry or organization. Because of the versatile industries, Yarbrough works with, we have put together a few reasons anyone can benefit from purchasing a pallet dispenser.

1. Streamlined Productivity

Enhancing a high-production work environment can be as simple as having all of your machines and products in the right place. With high-quality pallet dispensers from Yarbrough Industries, you are able to integrate your product lines without skipping a beat. Each Pal-O-Matic Pallet dispenser is custom-made for industrial applications, giving you the opportunity to allocate time and resources toward other critical production areas while knowing your pallets will be where they need to be.

Some productivity benefits of pallet dispensers include:

  1. Elimination of manual pallet handling

  2. Reduction of employee injuries due to removal of manual pallet handling

  3. Increased production while minimizing time and labor involvement

  4. Minimal floor space used for storage and staging for pallet stacks

  5. Minimal pallet damage

  6. Stand-alone models offer simple stacking and dispensing

 

2. Seamless Integration

At Yarbrough Industries, every solution we offer you is geared toward improving workflow for smooth, efficient product integration. We recognize how difficult it can be to find technology that simultaneously keeps operating costs at a manageable price while also increasing productivity. 

  1. Problematic labor replacement, including the elimination of repetitive motion risks while allowing stacking of square and stable loads to full height to minimize freight costs.

  2. Compact, mobile footprint fits into existing tight spaces, typically taking up only as much or on occasion, less space as what you are already using for manual palletizing.

  3. Modular flexibility to dramatically minimize hassle and ensure optimal time for customer projects.

  4. Financial incentives are realized in as little as one year. Having a pallet dispenser can dramatically lower certain costs for 1-shift, 2-shift, and 3-shift operations.

 

3. Increased Production

One of the hardest parts of improving the performance of your facility is finding the right technology to fit your space, budget, and production requirements. With Pal-O-Matic Pallet Dispensers, you’ll be able to perform at an exceedingly high level without disrupting the area you operate in while staying within budget. Replacing cost-increasing inefficient manual labor with the Pal-O-Matic Pallet Dispenser makes work easier and safer while letting you keep more of your money—It is our job at Yarbrough Industries to continually find exciting ways to make your production easier. With our high-quality automated pallet dispenser, we’ve done just that.

Contact us to find out how we can make things simpler for your facility.

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