“How do I increase the efficiency of my warehouse assemble line? “
“Simple, get a barcode scanner.”

“What about managing my inventory effectively?”
“RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) should work”

“And how about organising my shipping details?”
“Try EDI (Electronic Data Integration).”

“While we’re at it, is there a technology that could teach my staff to use all of this?”

Establish Performance Metrics
You can’t improve something you haven’t measured. That’s why the most important step starts even before the training begins – putting in place measuring parameters. It makes sense because nearly every single warehouse & logistics activity can be measured. By establishing key performance metrics, you can easily identify where the errors are occurring and how you can iron them out.

Assess Training Needs
Figured out all your KPIs? Good. Now it’s time to identify where your employees are lagging. Different employees will require different skill-training. Some training methods can be implemented in-house, while some need to be outsourced. Identifying all your training needs beforehand will ensure the process remains smooth.

Schedule Everything
You must not forget that training practices should never come at the cost of disrupting supply-chain flow. Ensure there is a schedule in place that never leaves you short-staffed at any point of time. A smart schedule also ensures that the training process isn’t rigorous, and doesn’t eat into the worker’s personal time.

Encourage Employees to Set Goals
You can’t clap with a single hand! A one-sided effort from your end will soon fizzle out. Instead, motivate your employees to set their own goals in training. This will ensure that the onus to do better comes from their end. The initiative should be self-driven and self-assessing.

Don’t Forget the Feedback
Timely feedbacks can go a long way in making your training exercise successful. Try adopting an ‘appreciative enquiry approach’. It involves sharing the positive feedback first, followed by areas of improvement. This ensures that the feedback is well-received by the employee, instead of seen as pointing out flaws.

Training & Development practices for warehouses isn’t rocket science. But it needs to be done the right way to make sure your supply chain’s productivity goes through the roof. Make sure to allocate proper budgets for them. An investment today can help you reap benefits for a lifetime.