How do you know your warehouse is performing to a good standard? This warehouse audit tool or Warehouse Audit Checklist enables you to identify areas for improvement and measure your warehouse performance.
This Self-Assessment Warehouse Audit Tool also:
- Encourages employee involvement and responsibility in driving warehouse improvement.
- Encourages staff to reflect on their role and contribution to the key warehouse processes.
- Allows staff to see and reflect on their peers' contribution assessment.
- Focuses on the development of employees' judgment skills
This tool is developed due to a research project with Manchester Business School.
This comprehensive & tested Warehouse Audit tool has 184 questions in below mentioned 6 Categories.
As a Manager or staff, you need to be aware of warehouse activities and processes that need to be planned and controlled, include:
“inbound flow handling, product-to-location assignment, product storage, order-to-stock location-allocation, order batching and release, order picking, packing, value-added logistics activities, and shipment (Ackerman, 1980).”
6 Categories Included in This Tool
In this warehouse audit tool, characteristics (indicators) and dimensions of warehouse management will be examined under 6 parts-
1. Internal Areas – Security check, safety briefing, floor plan, ventilation, and many more.
2. External Areas – Signboards, routes, lighting, parking and many more.
3. Systems, Planning and Equipment - IT systems, mechanical handling equipment, key warehouse processes, movement of goods, vehicle booking system, and scheduling of vehicles.
4. Health and Safety - Internal H&S, external H&S, staff awareness and many more.
5. Inbound & Inspection - non-conformance product and packaging, scheduling of vehicle arrivals.
6. Dispatch, Housekeeping and Performance Measurement - Picking, warehouse performance management, training, shift allocation, employee utilisation and many more.
Select 1 of the five choices on the Likert scale. If N/A is selected, it will not be accounted for in the total score. Once you complete the Warehouse Audit Checklist, you will get three graphs, as shown below.
In the last decade, we observed an increasing complexity in warehouse operations. This complexity is demonstrated by the implementation of sophisticated IT tools in warehouses and distribution centres (DCs). Therefore, we need a comprehensive warehouse audit program & warehouse audit plan to assess this complexity and identify any blind spot.
Lastly, the main aim of the categories mentioned above and the questions in this warehouse audit tool is to guide you towards Best practices in warehousing operations.
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Additional Tools to Improve Logistics Performance
- Inventory Optimization Tool in Excel that will identify E&O, recalculate Safety Stock, identify changes in Made-to-Stock, Made-to-Order, and redo the whole ABC analysis and more in minutes & hours rather than days.