Warehouse Standard Operating Procedures ( SOPs)

Warehouse Standard Operating Procedures are the bread and butter documents within a GMP compliant warehouse environment, but can also be an extremely useful tool in any warehouse and distribution environment.

Training of warehouse team members should be conducted using a standard operating procedure (SOP) or work instruction (WI).

The warehouse SOP is a written document describing and illustrating the key steps, sequence and critical points of the warehouse operation. Quality, safety, ergonomics and 5s are included.

A diagram visually illustrates key points, the visual element is a powerful communication and learning medium for the warehouse team.

The SOP forms the basis of controlling the process to ensure Quality-Speed-Cost-Safety performance. The SOP makes the employee responsible for quality, speed,cost and safety.

Keep the SOP Simple and Make It Visual

In traditional warehouse operations the SOP tended to be lengthy and over wordy, with the result that the document is often misunderstood and seldom referred to.

In world class warehouse operations SOPs are brief, clear and have illustrations or screen shots to make them easy to follow and understand.

It is important to note that current SOPs are a work in progress, as warehouse system, and process's improve and change, so to do the SOPs and will need to be reviewed.

Having a master folder, with a systematic number system for each warehouse departments along with a review date and version number for each SOP is important to be able to keep track of the most up to date version.

Using the SOP as a warehouse team training aid is also very important, whether as a team or individuals, a record of training by SOP number should also be maintained as a record as to who was training in what, when and by whom.

When writing an SOP remember that a warehouse team member needs to be able to read the SOP and then be able to carry out that warehouse task. The vinegar test for a well written and illustrated SOP is to do just that, hand the SOP to a warehouse colleague to see whether he/she can understand and complete the task through reading and following the SOP.