Warehouse Organization Checklist

Walk the racks and verify each pick face has a legible location label and SKU placard matching the WMS. Faded or peeling labels are a top cause of mis-picks; flag any that need reprinting from the label printer.

Pull the cycle count task from the WMS — A items counted monthly, B quarterly, C semi-annually. Inventory clerk recounts any location with a variance before posting an adjustment.

Variances over the materiality threshold need a 5-why before a system adjustment is posted. Common causes: mis-staged returns, unposted receipts, cross-bin commingling, or theft. Document the cause in the WMS adjustment note — never blanket-adjust.

Spot-check perishable, shelf-life, and lot-controlled SKUs to confirm oldest lots ship first. Pull the WMS aging report; anything past 80% of shelf life gets escalated to the planner for disposition.

Clear the returns cage and quarantine area. Each unit gets a disposition: restock, rework, scrap, or RTV (return to vendor). Aged inventory in the returns cage is one of the most common cycle-count variance sources.

Pull last 90 days of pick velocity from the WMS. A-movers belong in the golden zone (waist-to-shoulder height) at the front of the pick path; slow-movers move to upper levels or reserve. Re-slot any SKU whose rank has shifted by more than two cohorts.

Per ANSI MH16.1 / RMI guidelines, walk every aisle and look for forklift damage to uprights, deflected beams, missing safety pins, and overloaded levels. Red-tag damaged rack and offload before the next shift; do not patch with welds.

Inbound and outbound staging should be physically separated and clearly marked. Cross-contamination of staging lanes is a leading cause of mis-shipments and BOL discrepancies.

OSHA 1910.176(a) requires aisles wide enough for safe forklift operation and kept clear of obstructions. Confirm pedestrian walkways are striped, intersections have mirrors or dome mirrors, and emergency exits are unblocked.

OSHA 1910.178(l) requires equipment-specific training and re-certification every three years or after any incident. Pull the training matrix; flag operators within 30 days of expiration so re-evaluation can be scheduled.

HazCom 2012 requires an SDS for every hazardous chemical on site, accessible to employees per shift. Walk the chemical storage area, list every container, and reconcile against the SDS index. New chemicals trigger targeted HazCom training before use.

Pull the SDS from the manufacturer or SDS service (VelocityEHS, MSDSonline), file it, and add the chemical to the HazCom inventory list. Schedule targeted training for any operator handling the new chemical before next use.

Confirm GHS pictograms on secondary containers, NFPA 704 diamonds on bulk storage, and aisle placarding for flammable, corrosive, and oxidizer storage. Faded labels are a routine OSHA citation.

Verify exits unblocked and lit, eyewash stations flushed weekly per ANSI Z358.1, and spill kits stocked for the chemicals on site. Document each station's inspection date on the tag.

Pull the CMMS (eMaint, Limble, MaintainX) PM list. Confirm daily pre-shift inspection logs are signed by operators and any past-due PM has a recovery date. Deferred PM on lift trucks is both a downtime and an OSHA risk.

Walk each conveyor line, hit every E-stop, and confirm the line drops and the andon registers. Document any E-stop that fails to trigger and lock out the line until repaired.

Test each dock leveler under load and confirm wheel chocks or dock locks engage before trailer loading. Trailer creep during loading is a known fatal-injury hazard.

Run the nightly sync report between WMS (Manhattan, HighJump, NetSuite WMS) and the ERP. Investigate any SKU with an out-of-balance quantity before month-end close.

Charge bays full, scan triggers responsive, Zebra/Honeywell printers loaded with the right label stock. Spare scanners staged at supervisor desk so a dead unit doesn't stop a pick wave.

Pull the backup log from IT or the SaaS vendor. Confirm the last successful nightly backup is within 24 hours and that quarterly restore testing is documented. Untested backups are a cyber-insurance audit finding.

Warehouse manager reviews findings, captures any open corrective actions, and signs off. Open items roll into next cycle's CAR list.