Worker Well Being Sighted As Warehouse Productivity Enhancer

October 26, 2022

A recent survey has revealed that 74 per cent of warehouse leadership are concerned about maintaining productivity levels in the warehouse.

Given the current macro-economic climate, and global supply-chain challenges, maximizing productivity has never been so important. One of the major barriers identified to maintain productivity was people, and 76 per cent of warehouse floor workers state having the right people was the top priority in maintaining or improving productivity.

Productivity is made or lost on the warehouse floor, so this insight from floor workers shines much-needed light on personnel’s central role in unlocking productivity gains.

42 per cent of floor workers surveyed highlighted staff exhaustion and fatigue as significant challenges in the warehouse. With the labor market experiencing continuing shortages, there is a clear and present need for organizations to priorities worker wellbeing and build efficiency around them, not despite of them.

Many organizations overlook their workforce

Many organizations overlook their workforce and instead focus on automation, cost cutting, and KPIs while neglecting the people directly impacted by these schemes.

According to the survey, other prerequisites for sustained success include improving processes and workflows (72 per cent) and optimizing space and layout (66 per cent). Whilst these can create efficiency gains, having a well-equipped and highly motivated workforce is critical in improving warehouse productivity.

Ilhan Kolko, CPO of ProGlove, commented, “The findings in our survey lay bare the pressing need to embrace human-centric technology products, to deliver better working conditions, higher productivity, and improved customer service. Facilitating human-machine collaboration in the warehouse, through wearable tech, will not only enhance workers, but it will also keep them safer and happier.”

Human-centered productivity means creating efficiency by retaining workers and giving them the tools to augment them in their field. Placing people at the centre of productivity improvement insulates your business from labor shortages by ensuring you have a well-equipped and satisfied workforce.