Make your picking and packing process organized, efficient, and cost-effective with a few strategic tips about workstations, classifications, and workflows.

Organize Your Shipping Area

By organizing your shipping station with the most commonly sold items in close proximity, you can save the time it takes for fulfillment. This savings in minutes and seconds adds up and helps in eliminating the physical impact on your fulfillment personnel.

The product classification method

Classify your products as most shipped, often shipped, and rarely shipped which can help you to evaluate the stock performance.

Keep the right tools and supplies handy

Stocking your shipping stations with the proper supplies can help in boosting workflow speed and accuracy. The simplest glitch, like running out of tape, can delay your whole operation.

Have boxes, bags, envelopes, void fill material, and other small items like scissors and tape handy.
Make sure you have flat areas that are large enough to accommodate all of your typical packages.
Mark your table with measuring tape to make a guide so you can quickly assess package sizes.
Use a pinboard to keep your tools and supplies organized and within easy reach.

Create a resupply master list.

With a growing shipping center, plan to separate tools and necessary equipment for each shipping station. Make a master list of packing materials and other supplies you’ll need to restock.

Boxes- Make a list of each size and the flat size
Bags and Envelopes- Make a list of each size
Void Fill Material- Make a list of each type, roll width and diameter or amount of space required for storage
Miscellaneous supplies- Include tapes, labels, envelopes, pens, markers, and other small items in the list

Create an Operational Workflow

Clearly mark your picking and packing process with a help of a flow chart. Defining your operational flow will give you a visual presentation so you can consolidate and condense all the functions into a streamlined working model.

Develop Your Packing Order Sequence

Once the items are packed, designate a convenient and centralized location within the shipping station to stage or collect packages ready for delivery. Always place a cart next to the shipping table so your staff doesn’t need to carry items, but can slide them onto a cart heading to your outbound shipping area.

Set Goals and Measure Success

Once you’ve made your order sequence, set goals around your picking, packing, and shipping speeds. Pre decide how many packages you’d like to ship in a set time period, whether per hour, per day, or per week. As your shipping process gets in full swing, track your shipping speeds, and evaluate them every week to make more improvements.

In Conclusion

With a couple of operational changes, your company can transform your shipping process. Empowering your business with these shipping strategies can help you boost efficiency, reduce shipping time, and manage costs—all to positively impact your business and customer service.

3PL, Warehousing, and Order Fulfillment Services

Tenaxx is your partner when it comes to fulfillment. We provide 3PL, warehousing, and eCommerce order fulfillment services throughout Canada and the US to help you manage your picking, packing, and shipping process smoothly. Contact us to get a quick quote today.