How do you keep track of hundreds of SKUs in a warehouse?

Stacking hundreds of items neatly doesn’t make them easy to keep track of. Clarity comes from each item having a designated spot, carrying a scannable code, and being listed in the system exactly as it’s named in your online store. Without those three elements, any warehouse will inevitably become cluttered, no matter how large it is.

One item, one code

Each variant is a separate item with its own barcode. Having two colors under the same number may seem practical for purchasing, but it is the most common cause of incorrect shipments. Split variants before you move your inventory, not after.

Locations have been finalized

Items have a fixed location stored in the system. This means that employees don’t have to search for them—they’re directed to them. That’s the difference between a warehouse that adapts as it grows and a warehouse where only long-time employees know their way around.

Scanning Instead of Looking

During the picking process, items are scanned, not identified by sight. For small items that look alike, this is crucial: a scanner can distinguish between two packages that are barely different, whereas a person might not always be able to do so on a busy day.

Your product details are the foundation

Weight, dimensions, barcode, and a descriptive label determine how an item is stored, packed, and shipped. If these details are incorrect, you won’t notice it in your records—but you will see the impact in your shipping costs and returns.

Sprinters nearby

Items that frequently appear in orders are placed in a location that’s easily accessible. This reduces the distance walked per order, and with many small orders, that makes a bigger difference than with just a few large ones. Which items these are changes with the seasons.

Cleaning up is work, too

A product line that keeps growing without anything being phased out will eventually reach a dead end. Periodically review which items are barely selling and determine whether they’re worth the warehouse space they take up. That’s a purchasing decision that directly impacts your logistics.

Start with your files, not your boxes

Most of the time involved in a migration is spent cleaning up product data, not on the actual migration itself. Start that process early, and the rest will go smoothly.

How it Benefits You as You Grow

A warehouse that keeps hundreds of SKUs organized can scale up without requiring you to hire additional staff. That’s exactly what sets it apart from handling shipping yourself, where every additional item and every additional order takes time that you can’t spend on anything else. The point at which this tipping point is reached varies from one online store to another.