Whether your work takes place in a warehouse, a construction site, or some other kind of large-scale logistics operation, effective communication is essential. Naturally, this applies to most workplaces, but it’s especially relevant in industries where the projects are large, the demand is strict, and the employees are many.
In order to ensure communications in your warehouse or on your construction site are flowing smoothly, consider some of the following methods.
Use mobile devices & radios
Employees must have a way to establish one-on-one communication with colleagues and supervisors, particularly in long distance scenarios. Equipping your employees with mobile phones is one solution, but it’s not always the most immediate one.
Two-way radios have an advantage over cellphones, in that there’s no coping with dialing or voicemails. Employees get a direct line to their point-of contact. Furthermore, there are countless two-way radio emergency features that are critical to high-risk work like construction and warehousing.
These emergency features consist of emergency alert buttons, which allow workers in dangerous situations to establish immediate contact. Many also have motion sensing that can detect when the radio is in a position suggesting an employee has collapsed or fallen, thus alerting the other radios.
Develop hand signals
Sometimes, visual communication is just as (if not more) effective than verbal communication, especially in noisy environments. There is a variety of OSHA-recommended standard hand signals individuals in the construction industry should utilize to direct boom lifts and other industrial vehicles.
You may want to develop hand signals based on your workplace’s specific tasks and needs as well. Make sure to clearly label these in an employee guide and during training. Hand signals can also be a major aid to employees with a hearing impairment.
Establish a clear structure
Workers should never be confused as to who to talk to in a situation. There should be a clear chain-of-command and obvious protocol regarding how to report issues, file complaints, or make suggestions. Despite the abundance of technology at our fingertips, face-to-face communication maintains its efficacy.
Frequent, in-person check-ins done by supervisors and managers can make employees feel heard and respected. They also make employees feel more comfortable about communicating their concerns.
It’s also helpful to start the work day with department-wide meetings, so as to ensure everyone is in the loop about the day’s tasks and the overarching company goals. When employees are confused about the structure and needs of the company they’re working for, communication suffers, and so does performance.
Take advantage of cloud software
Relaying important data via cloud-driven software instead of clipboards also helps with the flow of communication. Cloud-driven software allows your workers to convey information, like stock levels, between departments.
In warehouses, electronic point-of-sale (EPOS) systems are particularly revolutionary, as they allow for stock auditing, workflow organization, order reminders, quarterly sales data, and distribution calendars to be shared universally among employees.
For warehouses or construction sites with a more specific workflow, custom cloud-based software solutions are available. When everyone has access to basic operations knowledge, the whole communicative process is streamlined.
Cloud software also lends an air of accountability. When employees have their own logins, allowing supervisors to see who takes on exactly what task and when, assessing problems and distributing praise becomes much easier.
Don’t underestimate the ‘paper trail’
Although warehouse employees rarely find themselves with time to check their emails, written communication still plays an important role in effective communication. While everything now is about automation and immediacy, there’s a sense of accountability and integrity that comes with text communication.
Important encounters (like agreements and mediations) should still be communicated and confirmed via text message or email. This allows a timestamp and proof of contact should legal issues later arise – which they often do in these industries.
Although the paper trail is not always an actual paper trail, it’s a trail of written and tangible consent. When management and employees on construction sites and in warehouses are willing to take responsibility for their communication, the entire nature of the industry shifts from one that is tough and single-minded to one that is balanced and fair.
