Jason Thistlethwaite
2.6 KiB
This article explains the concept of "double handling", including how to identify it and what to do about it. This is important because a lot of people hear "double handling" and make incorrect assumptions about what it means.
The following elaborates on what is and isn't considered double handling in a warehouse or production environment.
What is Double Handling?
Double handling is a term used to describe the unnecessary and inefficient shipment or movement of goods or products within a warehouse or production environment. In general, double handling occurs when goods are moved more than once before reaching their destination, leading to additional cost and time inefficiencies.
What isn't Double Handling?
Necessary and efficient activities such as shipping, receiving, quality control checks and stock counting do not count as double handling. These activities are necessary for warehouse operations and should not be regarded as double handling.
Examples
Stacking deliveries on the floor might be double handling
Imagine you are unloading a truck and you stack the packages on the floor. Later on, the packages will have to be moved somewhere else. Normally, it would be better to put the packages directly on a movable appliance like rolling racks, carts, or pallets so they don't need to be picked up a second time before than be moved to the people who need them.
Sorting SKUs by stacking items on the floor might be double handling
Imagine you are opening several boxes of products to sort the contents by SKU and then repackage them into cases. If you do that by opening every box and stacking the items on the floor, you are probably double handling. As a more efficient alternative, you could instead open one box at a time on a table, sort each item, and put it into a box for that SKU.
How to Identify Double Handling?
To identify double handling in your warehouse or production environment, look for any unnecessary movement of goods that may be occurring. Questions you can ask yourself include:
- Are there any areas where goods could be moved more efficiently?
- Are there any processes that require more than one person to move a product from one place to another?
- Is the route that products take through the warehouse long and winding?
- Is there a lack of clear pathways between different parts of the facility?
- Are workers moving goods further than they need to before they reach their destination?
What Can Be Done About Double Handling?
Once you have identified areas where double handling may be occurring, there are several steps you can take to reduce it:
- Streamline processes by finding ways to move