In warehouse management, traceability is essential to identify all the components that, once assembled, make up a product, starting from the raw materials up to the preparation and distribution phases of a product. Thus, you can always control not only the batches or serials of the items produced and sold but also the batches (and sometimes the deadlines) or serials of the components used.
Many practical needs lead to the use of traceability through batches, serials, and deadlines. In the food or pharmaceutical industry, for example, traceability is used to ensure the preservation of raw materials. Still, it is also essential to check and replace defective batches or components and to guarantee after-sales service.
Traceability through batches, serials, or deadlines is therefore essential in every industrial sector. Thanks to the possibility of tracing all loading and unloading movements, it is possible to trace the batches of components used for the production of a product, if necessary.
Let’s analyze the concepts of lot, expiration, and serial in more detail.
- The batch is a grouping (or “batch”) that brings together several products of the same type. A batch could be all X items manufactured on a given day, or all Z products assembled with machine M. The choice of the nature of a batch is usually made by the manufacturer.
- The expiry lot is a lot to which an expiry date is associated. Normally used in the food, pharmaceutical, or aesthetic fields.
- The serial number is a code uniquely assigned to each product, which is therefore used to identify the individual item with full certainty. Serial numbers are usually used on technological products.
Each batch or serial number is represented by a code:
When loading or unloading (or buying or selling) a product with active traceability, to keep this track, the batch or serial code must be entered in the appropriate field provided. When handling expiring batches, it is also necessary to indicate the expiry date.
Another essential element for traceability is the production bill of materials, a document structured in hierarchical order, in which the finished product is at level 0 and all the components, subcomponents and materials go down, which will occupy levels 1, 2, 3, and so on.
In addition to listing the individual elements, the bill of materials indicates the quantities necessary for the creation of the finished product and can contain further information on assembly, external processing, timing, and the use of machinery and specialized personnel.
Again, it is clear how complicated it can be to take into account the traceability of goods by relying on manual methods or simple spreadsheets. A amazon FBA box labels management program such as Danea Easyfatt allows you to obtain a report of all the required information in just a few clicks. The software tracks the list of all loading and unloading movements related to the production performed and allows you to view the batches of unloaded components.
Warehouse workers, managers and employees
As is the case in any company department, the selection of personnel and the assignment of roles within the warehouse is also essential to ensure its proper functioning.
It would be a good idea to have a supervisor or a sector manager participate in job interviews, who can then provide an evaluation of the candidate based on his or her direct experience.
The work of the staff must be evaluated periodically, but in a discreet way and without “pressing” the employees. Those who feel excessively controlled, in fact, tend to make more mistakes and perform less.
It should also be borne in mind that working in a warehouse also requires strong interpersonal relationship skills, not only in the relationship with colleagues but often with customers. Depending on the size and complexity of the structure, there may be different professional figures operating in the field of warehouse management, each with specific tasks. Below we list the most important ones:
Warehouse workers and forklift drivers
The warehouse worker follows the goods from arrival to correct sorting, intervening at practically every stage of the process. He, therefore, represents the fundamental figure in warehouse management, constantly engaged in a job that involves both physical and mental involvement, since it constantly requires accurate and meticulous controls.
The tasks of the amazon FBA label service worker also include moving the goods, which is why this part of the job very often requires the qualification of a forklift driver, i.e. a license that qualifies the staff to use a diesel or electric engine forklift.