While most people overlook warehouse labelling, there are various benefits to investing in warehouse labels. Labelling allows you to identify where you stored items quickly and hassle-free. There is more to warehouse labelling than shelf labels, shipping stations, or material handling equipment.
Warehouse labelling will depend on the volume and nature of your business. So why do you need warehouse labels? And what warehouse labelling ideas can you employ in your warehouse? Read on to find out.
Types Of Labels Used In Warehouses
- Retro-reflective: These labels have a microscopic glass bead layer allowing light to bounce back to the scanner directly, ensuring effective and quick barcode scans.
- Permanent adhesive: Most of these labels are often applied on materials needing a one-off label, as they often create a strong bond with the application surface.
- Removable labels: Removable labels are easy to install and can come in a range of sizes. They are a good fit for warehouses that frequently conduct reconfigurations as you can relabel them easily.
- Magnetic labels: If your warehouse reconfigures its racks location frequently, magnetic labels are a good choice. They are durable and easy to place and move.
- Long-range: These labels are scannable from up to 15 metres away and are often used to solve the challenge of a stock location that is impossible to label.
Benefits Of Proper Warehouse Labelling
- Better inventory management: Warehouse labelling makes it easier for you to manage your inventory. It allows you more control over the stock, making your work much more manageable.
- Increased productivity: It is easier to know where everything is when the racks are labelled. As a result, this improves efficiency and productivity, and you do not have to waste time looking for an item.
- Take advantage of upcoming IT technologies: You can maximise the use of IT technologies to enhance your warehouse management efficiency when you have a well-labelled warehouse.
- Asset control: You can monitor the materials coming in and out of the warehouse. This improves your work efficiency and helps you avoid understocking or overstocking.
- Fulfilment: Labeling your warehouse ensures high efficiency resulting in employee fulfilment and customer satisfaction as you will deliver their products on time.
How To Label Warehouse Racks Properly
Here is are some useful tips on how to label your warehouse rack like a pro:
- Type of rack shelf: You must identify the warehouse rack you have as racks are available in different options. Select the type of rack you want depending on the storage demands of your product, then choose the appropriate labels.
- Work with your label manufacturer: You must work with your label manufacturer from the start to the end of the process. Let them visit or have a clear picture of what your warehouse looks like, and let them know the structure and layout of the racks. Doing so ensures they have a clear idea of where the warehouse rack labels will be applied, allowing them to produce the correct type of labels for your warehouse.
- Get the appropriate label: Always factor in the surface you plan to apply the labels. Talk to your manufacturers and find out the type of labels they have available and what will be the best choice for your warehouse racks. Depending on the application area, you can also customise the labels.
- Ready to label racks: You must ensure that your racks are ready to label as sticking labels on a dusty and dirty surface is not practical. So it would be best to clean the racks before labelling them, as it ensures the labels are more durable. The labelled information should also match the stored items to avoid confusion.
- Label from the bottom to the top: Consider labelling the bottom shelf from 01, then move upward. Should you ever need to add more racks to increase the height, your work will be much easier if you label your racks from the bottom going upward.
- Final checks: Always do a final inspection after labelling as there may be unchecked mistakes such as inappropriate application or a label facing upside down. You can rectify mistakes, if any, during final checks.
Warehouse Labelling Best Practices
There are multiple warehouse rack labelling ideas to ensure best practices. It is vital to have a plan before you start the labelling process. Doing so ensures that you do not overlook any of the steps, and it also helps you avoid making any labelling mistakes.
Warehouse labelling can be tricky to navigate since it demands your utmost attention. Luckily, there are specific standards you can follow to avoid any confusion from individuals picking up the product and also avoid making any errors.
Some warehouse best labelling processes include labelling your shelves consistently, using a zero in all numbers less than ten like 04 or 05, as it allows your system to precisely read the locations alphanumerically. Lastly, numbers your racks from the ground up so that if you ever need to add more height to the shelf racks, it is easier and more convenient.
Essential Warehouse Technology
- Inventory management system
- Bar code scanners
- Labels
- Automated picking tools
- Internet of things
Conclusion
Warehouse labelling can be beneficial to you in several ways. Consider labelling your racks as it makes work easier for your employees and allows you to control your stock.
Always ensure you choose the correct labels for your warehouse and work closely with your manufacturer. You can consult your manufacturer on what labels are the best choice for your business.
ASP Microcomputers are the market leader when it comes to the development of customised and packaged solutions. This includes Inventory Management, Portable Barcode Readers, Supply Chain Management, Time and Attendance and Asset Tracking to name but a few.
ASP Microcomputers is here to help you run your operations in a smooth and convenient manner by providing you with the right equipment for your company needs. Contact us so we can sit down and discuss your goals, needs, and business structure. Armed with this information, we can help determine exactly what equipment you need to achieve success.
Please call us today on 03 9578 7600 or 1800 061 642 or leave an inquiry on our contact page.
