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Top 6 warehousing mistakes to avoid

With the growth of mass production and the advent of online ordering, supply chain management has become more complex than ever. It has also made customers expect rapid product delivery. As a result, warehouses have become the backbone of many businesses. Good warehouse management can help businesses fulfill orders with overwhelming accuracy and a short turnaround time. So, to ensure seamless business functioning, streamlining the warehousing process and ironing out any bottlenecks is important.

1. Poor planning
Planning is a non-negotiable part of running a business. One of the biggest mistakes companies make here is not taking this step seriously or following age-old practices that could be slowing the business down. To avoid this, companies must focus their efforts on ensuring that all processes are updated regularly. To do so, they can set up a schedule to meet with stakeholders once or twice a year at least to discuss what competitors are doing, evaluate current processes, and lay down the foundation for new, more efficient warehouse operations.

2. Lapses in inventory tracking
Another common mistake warehouses make is keeping an inaccurate record of inventory or not keeping one at all. This could result in major losses for the business! One can steer clear of this issue by implementing a warehouse management system (WMS) at the location. This is software that can easily update and keep track of tasks like inventory management, order fulfillment, shipping, receiving, reverse logistics, and more.

3. Lack of safety
Amidst all that stock, many businesses forget to prioritize worker safety in the warehouse, resulting in accidents and OSHA lawsuits. This can be avoided by ensuring that the business follows all the recommended health and safety guidelines and has special provisions in place to ensure employee health and safety in the warehouse.

4. No staff training
Given the fast-paced nature of work, it can be difficult to allocate some time for training new joiners. Despite the hassle, companies must ensure that they do not miss this step. One of the biggest positives of training the staff is that it shows them that the company cares. This reduces employee turnover. Moreover, allowing untrained staff on the warehouse floor can increase the risk of accidents and injuries. As they are unaware of the processes, it could also slow down the cycle and compromise team productivity.

5. Dirty facilities
Cleanliness has to be a priority for all warehouses. A space that is dusty, dirty, or has broken remnants of old machines and equipment not only poses a high risk of injuries but also illnesses. Maintaining cleanliness should be a regular chore. So, all parts of the warehouse should be cleaned after every shift. Setting up a deep cleaning schedule can help businesses maintain their warehouses better.

6. Keeping excess inventory
Old stock could be taking up precious space in the warehouse, resulting in a lot of clutter. As these products haven’t been sold for a while, they are likely to expire or go out of style, causing them to go to waste. For effective warehouse management, it is best to let go of excess inventory as much as possible. Additionally, businesses must set up a batch framework for orders so the warehouse can comfortably house items without overflowing.

4 printing mistakes and ways to avoid them

When it comes to printing, some mistakes can prove more costly than others. It is important to learn to recognize mistakes early and correct them so that you can get the best quality prints. From leaving the right margins to choosing the correct print quality, being aware of minor details can help. Here are four common printing mistakes and ways to avoid them, so you get a quality print each time. Not creating bleeding space Even though machines have become far more precise in cutting artwork to its intended size, you may still find 1-2 mm of inconsistency. Not adding bleeding space will result in a thin white border around your artwork. To rectify this, create a bleed or extra space of 5 mm around your image, so even if the paper moves, there wonât be any white space on the print. Printing in RGB If youâre wondering why your print doesn't match the colors on the screen, it may be because you are printing in RGB color mode. Artworks and documents set in RGB are meant for digital viewing, whereas those set in CMYK are meant for print. To avoid this error, ensure that the color mode of your design is set to CMYK. Typos and errors Grammar, spelling mistakes, missing fonts, and smaller font sizes can hurt your printâs appearance. Documents with these errors can appear unprofessional or even illegible. To avoid this, set the smallest font size of the document to at least 6 pt. You can rasterize or convert your text to a Smart Object, if you are using Photoshop, or to outlines, if you are using Illustrator. Proofread your document several times. You can even ask a friend to do it for you, or use an online spell check program to avoid any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. High ink coverage Images that require too much ink to print can cause the paper to bruise or wrinkle since the paperâs ink absorption capacity is limited. Avoid this mistake by using a preflight tool to check the ink coverage of your artwork. This tool checks which images require too much ink to print, so they can be edited accordingly. You can also opt for preflight tools that are specially designed for lowering the ink coverage of an image. It's important to remember that there is always space to make edits while printing. Double check your work before printing or sending them to a printing shop to get the best quality prints each time.

5 ways to improve digital customer experience

Over the last decade, many people have moved to shopping online, emphasizing the need for businesses to work on creating a quality digital customer experience. This includes building a strategy to manage social media, analytics, data, IT, innovation, and cloud services to offer customers the best possible interaction. So, here are five ways companies can improve their digital customer experience to increase sales and build better relationships with new and existing buyers.Understanding who the customers areThe first step in any digital strategy must be to identify exactly who is buying the products and services. To do this, start by creating a customer persona that picks out certain characteristics for certain segments. For instance, for a fashion boutique that specializes in sundresses, this persona could be a 27-year-old woman named Allison, who loves summers, treks, and all things nature.Using a persona such as this one can help customers recognize and associate with the brand. It can also help brands build personalized marketing campaigns in the future.Using analytics to understand what customers likeOne of the best ways to improve customer experience online is to understand what users like to do. This can be done by looking at and analyzing available data to see when the app is opened, what prompts work, and the actions taken. Businesses can also check the exact point where customers leave to grasp better where the problem lies. This data can help companies develop strategies to improve customer experience, convert site or app visits into sales, and improve profits.Interacting meaningfully with customersHowever, companies must not use data as their only source of information to understand what their customers want. Another way to work on customer experience is by talking to them directly. This can be done through online surveys, emails, chats, or social media. These conversations can help brands pinpoint their customersâ pain points and develop strategies to address them directly. Over time, this will deepen the customerâs bond with the company, helping build trust and loyalty.Unifying the customer experience across platformsPay attention to how the brandâs online presence is built. Ensuring that all digital channels offer a unified experience improves customer recognition and awareness. It also makes the company look reliable and consistent, which can help build trust, especially when tapping new markets.Implementing proven UCD processesUCD (User-Centered Design) places the userâs needs at the top of the priority list when making design decisions. These strategies are formulated with time based on the companyâs understanding of the user, their context, and specific user and business needs. Instead of launching directly, oneâs team and customers must test the strategies and approaches a few times. Remember that oneâs user base is never stagnant, so their digital experience canât be. Incorporating feedback regularly from users, experts, and other stakeholders can help businesses provide an updated digital experience.Apart from these strategies, businesses must also optimize their websites for mobile surfing to enhance user interaction. With most people now using their mobile devices to shop, companies can lose out on a lot of business due to a slow page load time or complicated navigation systems.