Hard hat and hi-viz vest? Check. Clipboard, tablet and mobile phone? Check. A skillset that’s key to a multi-billion pound market? Check.
It’s tru
e. The role of Warehouse Manager is an important link in the UK’s logistics industry, which has an estimated £942.5 billion turnover and £124 billion Gross Value Add (aGVA) contribution to the economy. Last year the wider logistics industry, with related occupations in all businesses, added around 200,000 jobs.
So, where does a Warehouse Manager fit into this giant jigsaw, and what does it take to become top of your game in logistics. Well, let’s start with the basics.
Essentially, the Warehouse Manager oversees the coordination of inventories, checking incoming items and outgoing shipments. As well as this day-to-day management role, often assisted by a team of Warehouse Supervisors and Operators, you’ll also monitor production, offer feedback to the senior management team and help them plan new strategies to improve speed and efficiency.
The work environment can vary enormously depending on which sector you choose, from food and drink to electrical components and all points in between.
However, one common denominator will be that your workplace is fast-paced: a vibrant hub of what looks like sheer pandemonium but is actually a graceful, carefully choreographed ballet of moving goods – with you as the music composer, dance instructor and, when necessary, a critic that would outfox a Strictly judge.
Not surprisingly, given the vast spaces, often heavy loads and moving machinery, keeping every employee safe is paramount. And yes, it’s also your responsibility to work with health and safety professionals and ensure all rules and regulations are strictly adhered to.
Some warehouses are bigger than entire villages, while others are more compact and serve smaller and more niche markets. Some are raw material stores, where you will see core components properly processed and made secure. Then there are the power houses where the production operatives work on assembly lines to ensure everything from boxes of cornflakes to computers to cars are brought into being. Finally, in the distribution warehouses, goods are collected, packaged and shipped off to another warehouse for collection or direct to clients and customers.
In all of these scenarios as the woman or man with the plan, you can find yourself working with a range of specialist colleagues, from Operatives to Stock Controllers to Logistics Analysts to Forklift Drivers – all in any one day!
The logistics industry has moved on a long way from a pencil behind the ear and handwritten paperwork; to succeed as a modern Warehouse Manager, dealing with inventory control and cycle counts, you’ll need a grounding in IT. You’ll also need to be able to keep up-to-speed with the latest logistics and supply chain software. Thankfully, most organisations offer regular training workshops on this.
If you have previous experience as a Warehouse Operative and fancy promotion to Warehouse Manager, or perhaps you’ve studied business administration or a related field, why not take a look at the career opportunities in Logistics/Distribution on s1jobs?