Housekeeping Chores

I am not normally one to be fanatical about order and cleanliness. But, during this past month I had the experience of visiting two of the cleanest warehouses that I have ever been in – and, two of the dirtiest. The contrasts were stark.

In the clean ones, I was able to focus my attention on the dynamics of the business and the processes. In the others, all I could think about was the dirt and clutter. And, as you can imagine, the manager was desperately looking for ways to improve productivity and accuracy.

Of course, there are some legitimate reasons that a warehouse may be difficult to keep clean. Open doors and truck traffic in gravel parking lots let in a lot of dust. Unsealed floors and spalling concrete raise even more. The handling and opening and closing of corrugated cartons add another layer of dust.

One of the ways that we commonly use to raise questions about product age and obsolescence is the “white glove” test. Running a finger across a box top always draws a comment from my host about how difficult it is to get the purchasing and marketing people to part with this stuff. In these dirty facilities, even the new products failed the test.

As I walked along the dock listening to complaints about the lack of space to stage outbound loads, I stared at one continuous pile of jumbled return merchandise and broken pallets.

In the racks, product spilled from several open cartons in each picking location where broken case quantities had been removed. The partially filled cartons then collapsed, creating a messy pile of the rest, making the picking task considerably more difficult.

So, if your warehouse looks even a little bit like this, what can you do?

If you happen to be in the position of moving into new digs – and, at the bargain prices of
space today, many are taking the opportunity to upgrade – then:

• Resolve to start out on the right foot
• Insist on hardened surface or properly sealed floors
• Provide positive pressure ventilation to keep the dust out
• Pave the lot. It’s not just about parking!

In your current facility:

• Get a powered sweeper, and use it daily
• Permit only one open carton in a pick face. And make sure that it is broken down and carried away when empty.
• Make sure that cartons don’t overhang the pallet and collapse, creating an unsightly, and dangerous situation.
• At a minimum, take the returns, junk and old stuff to the back of the warehouse where it is not in the way of productive operations.

By their very nature, warehouse operations collect dirt, dust and old product in broken cartons. It takes vigilance and a concerted effort to fight off the clutter. But when you do it, it creates a positive environment with happier employes, less turn-over and higher productivity. It broadcasts, “Quality counts here!”

In the cleanest of the facilities that I visit, the D.C. manager, and sometimes the president, frequently bend over to pick-up even the smallest piece of paper or pallet splinter and carry it to the nearest waste container. When the company president stops to pick up trash - he is sending a powerful message to his entire staff: "I am not too busy (or too proud) to pick up trash when I see it. It's too bad that apparently you are!"

Take a walk yourself and see how much you find, and how many others will follow your example.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James M. Apple, Jr. is a Director in The Progress Group. Prior to co-founding The Progress Group in 1991, he was a Partner with Coopers & Lybrand's SysteCon division. During 1992-1995 he served as a Senior Systems Advisor with Vanderlande Industries, a major conveyor and systems provider in Europe.

Jim is an internationally recognized thought leader in the area of facility design and integrated distribution systems. His contributions to the improvement of distribution practices have been recognized by his receipt of the prestigious Reed-Apple Award, which is given for lifetime contributions to the advancement of the material handling profession. Jim has also received the Institute of Industrial Engineers' Facilities Planning and Design Award. He has written numerous articles and handbook chapters on warehousing and logistics operations and is a popular speaker on logistics seminar and conference programs.

Prior to SysteCon, Jim worked as an Industrial Engineer with IBM, was Supervisor of Facilities Planning for the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors and was Executive Vice President for an automotive aftermarket parts supplier. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.