What Are the Best Ways to Reduce Warehouse Costs?

Knowing how to reduce warehouse costs is essential to run any successful company that relies on the import and export of goods. This is because storing merchandise in a warehouse can be expensive if you don’t take certain precautions. This guide outlines warehouse costs and how to reduce them, so your company can be as profitable as possible.

How to Reduce Warehouse Costs

There are several things you can do to reduce warehouse costs. Most important among them is to reduce your required space by optimizing storage. To begin, it is essential to learn the dimensions of the forklifts you’ll need for every type of product. Organize your storage by the aisle dimension required for forklift access. Choose a narrow and tall rack build to lower your required square footage.

Another important step is to protect your inventory. Billions of dollars are lost in warehousing costs every year because of damaged goods, theft and misplacements. Use proper inventory control and storage systems to minimize these problems.

Cross docking is another way to cut warehousing costs. Cross docks allow you to transfer products directly from the supplier to the customer with little to no long-term storage. In some cases, a product might be put on a truck for delivery, or it might be transferred to another link in the supply chain, such as a last-mile facility or a brick-and-mortar retailer. This process saves time and money.

Other ways to cut costs include:

1. Benchmark
   Set up internal benchmarks to help reduce your cost per order or hold the cost in line as volumes increase. You can translate these benchmarks down to department and individual work standards.
2. Recycle and reuse
   Purchase used containers for product storage.
3. Focus on employee retention
   Keep existing employees. It’s less expensive than hiring new ones.
4. Incentivize employees
   Create an incentive pay program to maximize productivity among your pick and pack employees (but don’t overpay for work that should be a normal part of operations).
5. Reduce energy costs 
   Look into improvements, such as upgraded warehouse insulation and automated lighting, to cut down on energy use. Where possible, maximize natural light from windows to further cut costs.
6. Manage your labor force
   Labor is the largest controllable expense in your distribution center. Successful practices to improve performance can lower your overall labor cost.
7. Maximize equipment
   Use the same equipment for more than one task instead of purchasing or renting two separate pieces.
8. Add voice-enabling technology
   Improve inventory control and augment productivity through the use of advanced technology. In many cases, extensive training is not required to see a relatively quick ROI.
9. Enable cross docking
   Save time on production management, storage and other associated costs. By cutting out the middleman, you transfer products directly to the customer and reduce costs.
10. Protect your inventory at all times
    Stock damage, misplaced items and theft all wreak havoc on inventory. Control access points, install security systems and train all employees properly to ensure minimal damage to inventory.

Trends in Warehouse Cost Reduction

Technology is key to controlling warehousing costs. Today, there are several options that improve efficiency, reduce mistakes and save money. RFID (radio frequency identification) portals automatically identify and track containers as they enter and exit the warehouse, so you always know where your product is located, thus reducing costs caused by lost or misplaced goods.

Voice-directed picking systems are becoming popular because they enhance productivity, efficiency and safety by requiring only a user’s voice—unlike paper or mobile computer-based picking systems that require both hands.