Organize Your Shipping Station

If you are a large ecommerce company, you likely already have a large shipping station organized and ready to go. For you the shipping process is probably pretty streamlined. But if you are a smaller business you may have shipping supplies all over the place. By keeping your shipping supplies organized all in one place, you can reduce the stress of shipping and make the process go faster. Here’s our guide to making that possible.

Observe Your Available Space

The space you have available to you will vary greatly. You may have space in a building you’ve rented or a studio, or you may be working out of your garage or just from the kitchen table. Before you begin to stock supplies, you need to look at this space you have and decide, realistically, how much of this space can be dedicated to your shipping supplies. You can’t stock all of your boxes on your kitchen table, for example. Once you understand the space you have to work with, you can begin to get organized.

Assess The Supplies You Need

There are certain shipping supplies you should always have on hand. Some of these are the basics, and some of these will be specific to your business. You will likely have labels, bubble wrap, corrugated boxes, and other similar items. Figure out what items you will need regularly and make sure you have them.

Larger Items Lower, Smaller Items Higher

You don’t want to have to extend your reach to pull down large boxes. This can easily lead to injury. Instead, keep larger, more bulky shipping supplies lower where you can easily reach them. Maybe you store them under a table or desk, or maybe you stack them besides your workstation. This depends on the space you have available to you. Storing things vertically and higher up can save on space, but only do this with smaller, lightweight items.

Keep Regularly Used Items Nearby

Scissors, packaging tape, and labels are the types of items you will be using for just about anything you ship. Keep those at your packing station at all times, placed somewhere out of the way but within reach. Needing to leave the room for scissors while packing up shipments wastes a lot of time.

Keep It Comfortable

If you have occasions when you work at your shipping station for long periods of time, you need to make sure your workspace is comfortable. Install enough lighting so it is easy to see. Make sure you have air flow, such as by using an indirect fan. Having a portable electric heater for the winter months can keep you warm while you work. Consider these things and make space for them.

Use Labels

Labels are essential, especially if you are storing items in storage cabinets. Make your labels clear and color-coded to make it easier to find the items you are looking for. This is also great because if you need to bring in extra help, these people will be able to quickly find each shipping supply they are looking for.

We hope these tips will help you keep your shipping supplies better organized. Have any tips of your own? Share them in the comments!