Tag: Business Tips

Bigger isn’t always Better

Staying operational in rough economic waters sometimes means having to make some big changes – one of those changes that some distribution centers are making is to open more locations.  Opening more locations doesn’t really sound as though it would be a good way to cut costs and increase the bottom line; but if those new locations are smaller and better equipped to serve the customer – it can certainly be a way to turn more of a profit.

Many companies are looking to eliminate extremely large facilities that carry high overheads in terms of rent and utilities in favor if smaller, lower cost buildings that are able to deliver service at faster speeds.  One large centralized location that is capable of carrying plenty of inventory does have some advantages, but multiple locations that are strategically placed can have many more benefits when it comes to provide quick and accurate service to customers.

It can be quite a bit easier to keep track of product in a smaller and well organized building, everything needs to be processed and put away upon arrival because your employees won’t have the extra space for product to sit around on pallets.  With your entire inventory put exactly where it needs to be up receipt, there won’t be any room for error – inventories will be easier to control and orders won’t be lost due to misplaced product.

Bigger isn’t always better in terms of equipment either and when distribution centers shrink down in size to become faster and more effective, they often need their material handling equipment to do the exact same thing.  In a small and fast pace environment, you can’t afford to have over-sized, unreliable and outdated equipment – you need carts and lifts like those offered by DJ Products; equipment that is small, easy to use and that will last an entire shift (or more) on a single charge with no fear of failure.

Your employees will be moving at lightning speeds in order to process customer orders; they’ll need safe, effective and reliable equipment to help them perform their job properly – equipment like the carts and lifts offered by DJ Products.

How To Save Your Business Money

Today’s business climate of increased competition and economic uncertainty makes fiscal responsibility more important than ever. Labor costs are usually the largest part of a company’s budget, with workers compensation claims falling under that umbrella. Many people may disregard those costs, assuming they’re covered by insurance, but disability claims include significant hidden costs that impact your bottom line.

Insurance companies resolve claims by footing the bill for medical costs and wage replacement. However, a study by the Stanford University Department of Civil Engineering found that indirect costs of workers compensation claims often exceed the direct costs. These hidden expenses can include:

  • Hiring and training replacement labor
  • Overtime costs associated with reduced efficiency due to the loss of a skilled worker
  • Administrative time on the part of employees involved in claim processing
  • Clean-up and repair of any damage to equipment or facilities

Some claims may also result in OSHA fines, legal fees and other liability costs.

Incorporating top-of-the-line safety measures is the most effective way to prevent workplace injuries. Material handling activities generate a major number of injuries due to the physical effort involved, making this a vital area to implement better procedures.

Our comprehensive line of electric tugs, tows and pushers is designed with workplace safety in mind. They’re powerful enough to allow a single person to easily move up to 50,000 pounds. In addition, they’re equipped with ergonomic features like variable speed twist grips to prevent repetitive stress injuries.

Our friendly and knowledgeable Sales Engineers are ready to assist you in finding the perfect solution for your particular application. Call 800.686.2651 to find out how you can become a member of Team Cart Caddy.

Diversification and the Willingness to Grow

Stocking distributors and manufacturer’s representatives are finding themselves in a position where they have to play the roll of the chameleon, constantly changing to meet their customer’s needs in the ever changing construction environment.

When you are in a field where the products are constantly evolving to meet the end users unique needs it’s difficult enough to try and keep up with the trends, but when the ravaged economy is wreaking havoc with your and your competitors’ businesses you need to truly be the most versatile business you can be in order to remain successful.

Your closet competition may be forced to close its doors, which could open up an area of the market that you were previously unable to service – but in order to attack and hold onto that business you may need to add new product without losing a step in terms of serving your customer.

This type of rapid fire adaptability requires you to have the most reliable and easiest to use equipment in order to be able to receive and fill orders at the rate necessary to meet existing and new customer needs.  You can’t have your employees fumbling with outdated machinery that is prone to failure, or with manually moving thousands of pounds of product due to the fact that there is no fuel in your lift or charge left in its battery.

DJ Products offers battery operated lifts and carts that are designed to meet the demands of the fast paced atmosphere of material handling.  These lifts and carts are among the safest, most reliable and most versatile available – each ergonomically designed to not only get the job done, but to keep your employees safe while they are doing it.

Whether you are feeling pressure from an influx of new product and new customers or just trying better your business status enough to not become a statistic, the right equipment for the job is necessary to exceed your previous level of productivity.

Downsizing? Can Your Equipment Handle the Move?

Unfortunately many material handling companies and distribution centers are still having trouble making ends meet and this has led to a trend of companies moving into smaller builds to cut expenses.  If your company has a lease coming up for renewal and you are considering the possibility of cutting overhead by moving into a smaller building, ask yourself this –is your equipment reliable enough to conquer the work involved in a move?

If you have issues with outdated material handling equipment that gives you fits because of regular maintenance issues, odds are that your move will be a disaster.  Consider the fact that moving your entire operation will be a labor intensive affair unlike any other.  Moving isn’t just high volume – it’s all volume, you need to get everything: racks, pallets, desks and every last piece of product moved as quickly as possible to the new operation to avoid missed sales and risk being labeled unreliable.  Make no mistake about it – moving is not a job to perform with unreliable equipment.

That’s not all you have to consider either – is there adequate room in your new facility to merit the big, bulky equipment that you are currently running?  If there isn’t than upgrading to smaller, safer and more efficient powered carts like those offered by DJ Products is a very simple decision – just be sure to implement it prior to moving.

You won’t be able to ship or receive product during your move, so it’s absolutely integral to your future success to get the move completed as quickly and efficiently as possible so you can open for business again.  You don’t need any hitches thrown into the process by having a piece of equipment fail at the wrong time.  Upgrading to the best and most reliable material handling equipment prior to the move will ensure that you get into your new facility with as few headaches as possible and that you can resume regular businesses soon as possible upon getting settled in your new building.

Hazards in the Workplace

Many things located in your workplace; things that you use every single day without a second though, things as common as pallets, ladders, hand trucks can all prove to be dangerous if not used properly.  Many of the pieces of equipment that you use on a regular basis, the things that you come in contact with so often that you take their necessity for granted, can pose a serious health risk to you and others if they aren’t in good condition or if they aren’t properly used.

Regular inspections of all equipment should be made to ensure that everything is in good working condition, regular maintenance should be performed on any equipment that contains moving parts and you should ensure that all of your employees are educated on the proper use of the equipment.

The equipment that you use everyday needs to be: properly used by your employees, in good working condition and capable of handling the work that you are using it for.  Many workplace injuries can be avoided simply by the use of the right equipment for the task at hand.  The electric carts and lifts offered by DJ Products are easy to operate – your employees can be trained quickly to operate these lifts properly, safely and efficiently.  They are quiet – the rest of your employees won’t be distracted by excessive noise while DJ Product’s equipment is operating.  They are highly efficient and have long battery life – your employees won’t be stuck with an unfinished load of material in the middle of your warehouse due to the fact that their cart died.  All of these attributes will make your warehouse more efficient and much safer for all of your employees.

Safety should be a prime concern when you work in material handling – and safety starts with the right equipment for the job and properly trained employees.  You can make your operation as safe as possible and dramatically increase your company’s efficiency by using the right equipment for the job.

Contractor Versus Employee Do You Know the Difference?

The difference between Employees and contractors.
The difference between Employees and contractors.

One of the most important warehouse management tips for any business is knowing and understanding the difference between an employee and a contractor. Misclassification for businesses can result in larger tax bills or penalties for not paying employment taxes or not filing the correct tax forms. Conversely, workers will avoid higher tax bills and lost benefits if they file tax papers using the proper status designation.

Know the Difference

The basics between an employee and a contractor are:

  • An employee is instructed on how to do a job correctly and is controlled in the means to do so. A contractor is specifically told what needs to be done, but they do it on their own volition.
  • An employee is trained to do a job correctly, while a contractor is given the freedom to get a job done the way they see fit.
  • An employee is paid a specific wage no matter what their duties are. A contractor gives the business a specific price or an estimate, that is agreed upon by both parties, before any job is done.

What it All Means

Essentially, an employee is hired-on by the business and conforms to their company creed, goes through any training provided, and they are then expected to perform a work function using the guidelines set forth by the company.

A contractor gets hired-on at a negotiated wage for a specific job, that they will complete using their own experience and their own guidelines, as long as it conforms to safety standards and regulations.

Stay informed with more warehouse management tips, by checking out our blog at DJ Products, Inc.

How You Stand and Sit is the Basis for Ergonomics

Your skeleton is like the steel framework of a building. It is the core structure to which everything else attaches that provides the basic support system for the muscles, ligaments and tendons that allow your body to move.

You may not realize it, but the alignment of the bones in your skeleton when you stand or sit has a huge impact on muscle comfort, which in turn has a significant impact on job efficiency and productivity. Your body posture while working — how you stand and sit on the job — makes a telling difference in how you feel at the end of the workday and is the basis for the science of ergonomics.

How Posture Affects Work

Being forced to stand or sit in an uncomfortable position while working can stress and tire your muscles. Being forced to overextend or place undue pressure on muscles while lifting, reaching, pulling or pushing as you perform work tasks can likewise stretch and strain muscles.

As discomfort increases and turns to pain, productivity decreases as you compensate to relive the strain on your aching muscles. Without relief, pain can become chronic and lead to temporary or even permanent disability.

Ergonomics Improves Performance

Workers come in all shapes and sizes. Rather than forcing workers to contort their bodies to fit fixed equipment configurations, ergonomically-designed equipment allows equipment to be adjusted to provide optimal working conditions for each individual worker. The result is increased satisfaction and comfort for workers and improved worker efficiency and productivity for employers. It’s a win-win solution!

Visit our website or talk to our sales engineers to find the right ergonomic material handling solutions for your business.

Introducing New Hospitality Applications for Motorized Carts

Business owners must constantly be preparing for coming changes and watching for new trends and products. That’s the reason this blog devotes space to those issues, as we have in the past week. As the country’s leading manufacturer of ergonomically-designed motorized material handling carts, we’ve learned that staying competitive in U.S. industry requires not only the flexibility and willingness to embrace new ideas, but the innovative thinking to see new applications for your products in the workplace. Innovative applications of DJ Products’ ergonomic carts originally developed for health care and manufacturing markets have opened new opportunities in the hospitality industry. When you visit our website, you’ll find a new product category for Motorized Carts for Hospitality, Hotel, and Industrial Environments. 

DJ Products has found that many of the same tasks performed in hospital and industrial settings are also performed by employees at hotels, motels, resorts and casinos. All must push heavy carts filled with dirty linens or cleaning supplies. All sometimes need to move heavy equipment, whether it’s an EKG machine or a one-armed bandit. All need to move materials and supplies from one point to another, usually through narrow and crowded hallways. And all have to haul trash. With the click of your mouse, it’s now easy to find and examine all of these commonly used material handling products in one place by clicking on the new link to Motorized Carts for Hospitality, Hotel, and Industrial Environments from DJ Products home page.

Our expanded listing of motorized powered carts and equipment for the hospitality and hospital industries includes: housekeeping carts, dirty linen carts, wire carts for clean linens, powered and electric flatbed carts, a motorized dump hopper for trash and debris, and more heavy-duty motorized industrial carts and powered movers for handling bigger, heavier, more unwieldy loads. We even offer a motorized cart retro kit that can be adapted and installed on any cart, turning your old carts into money-saving models of ergonomic efficiency.

All of DJ Products’ material handling products are built to maneuver economically and safely in confined spaces. The ergonomic, walk-behind design of all of our products provides clear sight lines, ensures easy maneuverability and protects the health and safety of operators. Forward-thinking business owners who recognize coming trends are already embracing ergonomics as the wave of the future. To find out more about DJ Products’ ergonomically-designed powered carts and movers, visit our website and talk to one of our ergonomic engineers. At DJ Products, the future is now!

What Can We Learn from Failure?

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you strong.” Or “No pain; no gain.” Ask anyone who’s been in business a while and they’ll tell you, you learn from your failures. Those who struggle with a new idea, testing and tweaking it through multiple incarnations until they get it right enjoy a sense of accomplishment unknown to those who simply luck into an idea, though not to imply that there’s no joy in the occasional “gift.” Sometimes, but not often, we get it right the first time. Usually, though, success is a matter of hard work and sacrifice. Perhaps that’s what makes success taste so sweet.

Celebrating Failure: The Power of Taking Risks, Making Mistakes and Thinking Big by Ralph Heath (Career Press, 2009, paperback, 191 pages, $9.26 on Amazon.com) is a smart book and a quick read. Heath’s message is to stop punishing mistakes, yours and your employees’, and start learning from them. Emphasize the learning, not the error, and move on. By embracing our failures we strip them of power. As he points out, the people who make mistakes are the same people who succeed.

Trade-Off: Why Some Things Catch On, and Others Don’t by Kevin Maney (Broadway, 2009, hardcover, 217 pages, $15.64 on Amazon.com) explores why some ideas succeed and others fail. Maney contends the magic formula is a combination of targeting your market correctly and staying true to your goal. Many businesses fail because they don’t make the mutually exclusive choice between convenience (low cost + easy use) and fidelity (premium quality + exclusivity). As he notes, a low-end Mercedes won’t sell, nor would a 5-course McDonalds meal.

The bottom line is deciding what need you want to meet and staying true to your game plan. You can’t be all things to all people. Success often comes fastest when you narrow your goal to meet a specific need. That’s been our experience at DJ Products. Our ergonomically designed carts and tugs won’t do everything, but they do a superior job of getting things from point A to point B without straining taxing your workers. Find out more at DJ Products.com.

Invest in Ergonomic Power Movers to Avoid Employee Injury

If you are wondering if it is worth your while to invest in ergonomic equipment like powered movers and warehouse tugs, keep in mind the costs associated with work injuries that are related to overexertion.

According to Risk&Insurance.com, employees who work in construction, transportation and warehousing may need a month or more to recover from injury. You probably need all your staff working at full capacity to complete projects, so having someone out can slow productivity. There are things like illness that you can’t prevent, but you can give your staff ergonomic equipment to help avoid preventable injuries that can result in lost work time and lower morale.

The article from Risk&Insurance.com discussed how,

“The median number of days away from work to recover from occupational injuries/illnesses was eight for the third consecutive year, the BLS [Bureau of Labor Statistics] reported. Transportation and warehousing had the highest incidence rate of all industry sectors, although it was basically unchanged from the previous year…sprains, strains, and tears accounted for 40 percent of the total cases, of which 43 resulted from overexertion.

The back was the body part injured most, at more than one-third”

DJ Products manufactures movers, trailers and tugs that can eliminate the pain and strain of manually pulling and pushing heavy carts or wheeled equipment. Our products are less costly, smaller and more maneuverable that traditional powered equipment. So if you have tried other power movers and found that you were less than satisfied, we think you will be pleased with the functionality of our products.

Please take the time to find a specific electric cart pusher on our website, or call our Sales Engineers for a recommendation on your proper solution. Our Sales Engineer will also be happy to explore custom applications where our base products match primary criteria.