Warehouse Receiving Process Checklist for Small Businesses

In the world of business efficiency is essential to success — the faster you can receive and process inventory, the more product you can move and the more profit you can make. The catch is you need a system that saves time without skimping on quality or risking employee safety. By using this checklist, you’ll be well on your way to achieving that goal.  

How to Receive and Process Inventory Faster

Planning and putting processes in place at the get-go is always helpful. Think about each step it takes to receive and process your inventory, then consider how those steps can be streamlined. Once your processes are in place, train your employees to ensure everyone knows what is expected. Then, use the checklists below:

Warehouse Pre-Receiving Process Checklist

• Create a warehouse receiving order label with a visible barcode to make identification and verification easy. Consistent labeling allows you to quickly scan and categorize items, then send them on their way to the correct section and shelf of your warehouse.
• Decide on receiving requirements and make sure suppliers and carriers fill out documentation, labels, and forms fully and accurately so that new inventory is received by the warehouse in the same manner every time.
• Make sure the requirements include how to properly organize inventory so that it’s packed back to front in reverse order of their delivery schedule. That way your employees can unload the shipment quickly without the time-consuming chore of having to move other cargo out of the way first.
• Stay on top of scheduling and be sure to match workload with your workforce to ensure you have enough manpower to handle incoming shipments.
• If possible, keep a second receiving bay open to accommodate any late or unscheduled shipments that can hold the receiving process up.

Warehouse Receiving Process Checklist

• Verifying

Counting and checking products as the unloading is going on can slow the process to a turtle’s pace. It’s critical, however, to identify and report any damaged or missing goods, so how can you streamline this part of the receiving process? 

For large shipments, try performing spot checks or better yet, invest in warehouse management software that can scan inventory and send reports automatically, making fast work of verification and allowing employees to focus on unloading and categorizing quickly.  

• Unloading

To speed things up, it’s a good idea to seek out equipment that saves your employees time and energy and that is easy and safe to use. Hint: conveyor belts work like a charm! Not only can they make unloading easier and quicker, but they can also be used to send the inventory where it needs to be stored.

• Storing

To make sure you fulfill and ship as efficiently as you receive, it’s crucial that incoming inventory ends up in the right sections and shelves. Your labeling system plays a key role here, ensuring inventory is categorized correctly.

Conveyor belts also come in handy in this phase, as they can be used to get the products where they need to go, eliminating the time it takes for employees to deliver items to storage areas by foot or by traditional, slower means such as forklifts or dollies. 

Mark Conveyor Belt Shopping Off Your Warehouse Receiving Process Checklist!

Warehouse receiving is all about unloading, checking, and storing inventory accurately and efficiently so you can fulfill and ship fast too. Using these checklists can definitely help, and so can calling Rapid-Veyor! Our portable, modular conveyors are perfect for the days your small business receives a large shipment.

• Rapid-Veyor belts can easily be moved and set up in any configuration to accommodate any size space. They’re an affordable way to make your warehouse run like a well-oiled machine, and as you know, in business, there is a need for speed in order to succeed. Learn how we can help by connecting with us online or by dialing 616-662-0954 today.

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