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Manual in general will help in easier ways to find information, not to search the whole warehouse for an item.
It is the first and direct way to organize and manage the warehouse.
A manual is an extended and elaborate Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). It guides the Warehouse Manager and Staff in all work activities of warehouse. It includes several templates to perform warehouse activities as required by the organization.
Contents: A Warehouse Manual shall contain at least the following chapters:
Introduction and overview of warehousing
Warehouse location, Planning and design
Health, Security and Safety
Receiving Procedure
Warehousing Equipment
Storage of Supplies
Dispatch of supplies
Recording Procedure
Transport of Supplies
Recovery, Recycling, Salvage and Disposal
which one of these are you referring to?
An important factor in the management of a store is strict adherence to operating procedures whether it be house-keeping, documentation, receipt, storage or issue methods like FIFO (First in First Out), etc. It is always better to put these instructions in writing and preferably compile them in the form of a manual. Such a manual has several advantages:
1- It is a complete record of all standing orders, instructions and procedures.
2- It facilitates the standardization of procedures and of paperwork
3- Staff can be trained more quickly and efficiently. Since they are familiar with a common procedure, they are easily interchangeable. Duties, responsibilities and accountability of each member of the staff are defined and this aids in supervision.
4- If the various stores in an organization are operating with the same methods, the levels of their efficiency can be easily compared.
Some general aspects of manual writing are:
1- The use of simple language in preference to jargon. The style should be appropriate to the persons who are expected to read it.
2- Operations to be performed in a procedure should be described in chronological sequence.
3- Technical terms used should be defined; where possible, illustration should be supplied
4- The chapters and paragraphs should be numbered
5- Descriptions of persons, procedures and forms should be accurate and consistent. For instance, it is confusing to refer to the same person as “Stores-in-charge” or “Storekeeper” or Stores Manager”, etc. at different places.
6- When a form is mentioned, give a specimen format as well.
It is always desirable to ensure that stores staff are properly and thoroughly trained in their duties. Where there are machines, the operators must have expert knowledge of how to handle the machines, if these are to work at capacity. Stores clerks should similarly be thorough with store routine and paperwork procedures. While a stores manual will help greatly in such training, the responsibilities of the supervisors in this matter is great. It is their job to ensure that the people working under them have a thorough knowledge of all aspects of their work. This also presupposes that the supervisors themselves have expert knowledge of the work. It is the responsibility of the management to ensure that such training is imparted to the workers.
A stores manual must inter alia have the following chapters:
1-Organization
2-Duties and responsibility
3-Receipt and inspection
4-Storage and preservation methods
5-Order picking and issue systems
6-Indenting of material for purchase
7-Inventory control and stock level
8-Customer order processing
9-Packaging and dispatching
10-Disposal of unwanted stores
11-Codification of stores and store identification systems
12-Record keeping and documents
13-Stores accounting
14-House keeping in store building and stockyard
15-Store layout
16-Materials handling and maintenance of handling equipment
17-Safety and security
Warehouse manual is a collection of various documents as under
1) Company Policy
2) Functional objectives / KPIs
3) Process & Guideline documents
4) SOPs and Check list
5) Safety instructions
The objective of annual is to convert all best practices in to documented forms. It provides the clear guidelines to employee and also helps new joinee to understand the processes within short possible time.
Documented system safeguard the intellectual property of a organization. For example if a experienced person leaves the organization then his knowledge is preserved in the form of documented manual, If it is not documented then knowledge base goes along with person.
Documented system also discourage the dependency on a single person.
It covers the following
1) Organogram and R&R of different designation
2) Functional objective
3) Process of Truck planning and placement
4) Process of picking
5) Process of loading and unloading
6) Process of put away
7) Process of stock counting
8) Process of receipt of stock
9) Safety instruction
Etc.