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The dock to stock process, common and critical to inventory organization, is performed in warehouses all over the country. Despite this, many businesses struggle to perform this logistical operation efficiently. Fortunately, we have some tips that can help you improve this process.
Key takeaways:
We’re going to show you the inner working of the dock to stock process and how to perform it more efficiently.
The dock to stock process involves the unloading of goods from an inbound vehicle and storing them at a designated area inside a warehouse. It’s essential that this procedure is performed quickly to keep other operations inside the warehouse running smoothly.
The dock to stock process is split into four unique parts, which include:
These procedures must be completed effectively to have productive dock to stock cycle times. This is the amount of time that it takes to complete the process.
The first part of the dock to stock process is the receiving phase. Trucks carrying products will arrive at the loading docks of a warehouse and should have a Warehouse Receiving Order (WRO). Dockworkers will confirm the shipment and begin unloading the trailer, using equipment like forklifts and pallet jacks.
The goods that are unloaded will be placed in a safe location on the floor called the staging area. If the delivery driver has any concerns regarding the shipment, a supervisor should be nearby to help.
3PL track and trace can also help you with monitoring shipments from the moment they ship to the moment they’re received.
Goods will need to be inspected once they’re unloaded. The inspection and receiving process is completed practically at the same time. As dockworkers are unloading goods from the trailer, they’ll also inspect the items, or at least the boxes they’re stored in.
Inspecting the product includes performing the following tasks:
This part of the dock to stock (DTS) process can take a long time. Because of this, many companies start getting bogged down at this stage. Fortunately, there are a few methods that you can use to solve this problem.
New goods arriving should be inspected carefully for damage. To stress the importance of this, consider some data I’ve provided.
Identifying damaged freight before it’s stored will prevent stress and disappointment in the long run.
When products have been unloaded off of a trailer and inspected, your next responsibility is to update your warehouse stock levels. Updating stock levels is essential for inventory accuracy. The last thing you want is to think that you have more or less of a certain product than you actually do.
Mistakes can occur during this part of the dock to stock process for a few reasons. For example, partial orders may arrive rather than full ones. This can cause a warehouse worker to enter the same amount of inventory a second time when the completed order arrives.
It’s important to be aware of what has arrived at your warehouse and what has yet to come to ensure your records are accurate.
After the stock levels of your warehouse have been updated, you can move on to storing your inventory in the designated areas of your facility. Make sure to put all relevant information about your products into your inventory management system.
Doing so allows workers to easily to locate the goods inside the warehouse when it’s time to ship an order.
Assessing your dock to stock process while it’s in action is the best way to determine what problems might be plaguing it. Some of these issues can occur during or even before the dock to stock process begins.
Problems you might face include:
Efficient dock to stock operations can only be achieved if you have enough staff. If you’re lacking the adequate amount of workers, you’ll need to hire more staff for your warehouse.
Equipment like pallet jacks and forklifts are essential when it comes to unloading and stocking bulk freight. It’ll be harder for employees to perform their tasks if their equipment is broken.
Train your workers to routinely inspect their equipment. This will help them identify malfunctions before they occur. You can also increase the life-expectancy of your equipment by teaching your workers to use them correctly.
Efficient dock to stock operations can be hindered by poor performing vendors. One good way to handle this is to closely monitor the services they provide and give them feedback on what they need to improve. In some cases, finding a new vendor might be the best option.
You don’t have to panic if you’ve determined that you have some problems with your dock to stock process. There are numerous avenues that you can take to fix your DTS process and get back on track.
This includes:
I’ll give you more information about these dock to stock improvement strategies in the following sections.
The purpose of VCP is to give your vendor a set of guidelines to follow when they send their products to you. When your vendor follows these guidelines correctly, your dock to stock process will run faster and smoother. Therefore, the policies you dictate to them should be drafted in a way that will make your job easier.
VCPs typically include requirements for the following:
Even if your company is small, using VCP will improve your dock to stock process immensely.
Another good method that can improve your dock to stock process is the use of ASNs. Getting notifications about products that are being shipped to your warehouse will help you prepare for the arrival of new items.
When you get a shipping notification, you’ll be able to prepare your warehouse team for the incoming shipment. This includes inspecting the staging area and any equipment that might need to be used to unload a trailer.
One way to improve the dock to stock process is to eliminate stocking altogether. This can be done with by using cross docking.
With cross-docking, products only spend a short period in storage. Oftentimes, goods that are unloaded will sit in the staging area briefly before being loaded into another trailer. This ensures a smooth flow of products to and from your warehouse.
Some other benefits of cross-docking include things like:
To use cross docking effectively, you’ll need to have trained warehouse staff that can move quickly, along with the right equipment to help them with their tasks.
Good employee training will help your workers perform dock to stock more efficiently. The best way to do this is to give your workers cross-training. This will give them the ability to perform all aspects of the service efficiently.
As a result, workers will have the flexibility to assist one another by performing tasks outside their assigned roles as needed.
You can improve your dock to stock process by optimizing the layout of your dock. Workers need to be able to move freely to perform their tasks without risk of injury.
Two methods you can use to achieve this include:
Designated areas for receiving and inspecting will keep workers from being each other’s way as they’re performing their tasks. Having designated pathways throughout the facility will also give workers safe areas to travel along as they’re unloading and stocking freight.
Related: How Are Warehouses Organized To Maximize Efficiency
Smaller companies don’t always have the resources to perform dock to stock in their own warehouse. A good way to solve this problem is by outsourcing fulfillment to a 3PL.
Many businesses opt to use a 3PL when their fulfillment operations can no longer keep up with their order volume. Having another warehouse with more docks and staging areas will make up for the room that you don’t have at your facility.
Some other important benefits that outsourcing fulfillment operations to a 3PL can offer you include:
At Fulfillment and Distribution, we can offer all these benefits to your business.
Related: What Is A 3PL Warehouse
If you don’t have the resources to open a warehouse, let alone perform efficient dock to stock, then Fulfillment and Distribution has you covered. We have warehouses all over the country that are operated by well-trained staff that will handle your goods with care.
Some of our warehouses can be founded in the following locations:
We also offer consulting sessions that help business determine which services they need. You can schedule one by calling our team at (866) 989-3082. If you already know what services you require, you then fill out your quote today.
