WHAT DOES A WAREHOUSE DO?

Published: Dec 26, 2025 - The Warehouse Professional supports efficient warehouse operations through accurate receiving, storage, picking, packing, and shipping activities. This role maintains inventory accuracy, follows warehouse management system procedures, and ensures strict compliance with safety and quality standards. The individual coordinates daily workflows, resolves operational issues, and drives continuous improvement to meet service and productivity targets.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Warehouse

1. Warehouse Administrator Duties

  • Customer Support: Dealing with customer enquiries via phone and email in a professional manner
  • Stock Control: Stock control, inputting data onto the bespoke system and Excel spreadsheets
  • Order Processing: Preparing delivery notes and processing online orders
  • Order Fulfillment: Picking and packing the orders ready for delivery
  • Dispatch Preparation: Putting delivery notes and stickers on the orders ready to go out for dispatch
  • Database Updating: Adding new products to the database
  • Online Response: Replying to customer messages online, either from the website and other selling sites used
  • Payment Handling: Taking payments using Sage
  • Relationship Building: Building relationships with existing and new customers and informing them of new products available
  • Sales Support: Supporting the sales team

2. Warehouse & Distribution Manager Details

  • Capacity Forecasting: Collaborative forecasting of capacity requirements with market representatives
  • Capacity Planning: Capacity planning with 3PL (inbound, storage, VAS, outbound, transport)
  • Layout Optimization: Ensure that the warehouse layout supports efficient and effective goods flows
  • Operations Management: Execution management of the operations in collaboration with a/o 3PL, order desk and planners
  • Exception Handling: Support exception flows and processes wrt priorities, returns, scrapping, non-conformity materials, and new product introduction
  • Performance Management: Performance management of the operations with the support of KPI Dashboards
  • Business Reviews: Review operations and performance in monthly and quarterly Business Review meetings
  • Continuous Improvement: Resolve issues and drive continuous performance improvement
  • Inventory Control: Inventory control management with 3PL, including a/o cycle counts, stock accuracy performance reviews, stock reconciliations, consignment inventory controls, inventory audits, and Good Availability Reports
  • Value Added: Manage Value Added Services by 3PL and ASP (Authorized Service Providers), including a/o repacking, bundling, labeling, identification and traceability
  • Claim Handling: Manage the complaint and claim handling process

3. Warehouse Assistant Manager Responsibilities

  • Strategy Planning: Determining, implementing and monitoring purchasing, storage and distribution strategies, policies and plans
  • Stock Planning: Preparing and implementing plans to maintain required stock levels at minimum cost
  • Supplier Negotiation: Negotiating contracts with suppliers to meet quality, cost and delivery requirements
  • Inventory Systems: Monitoring and reviewing storage and inventory systems to meet supply requirements and control stock levels
  • Dispatch Oversight: Overseeing the dispatch of road vehicles, trains, vessels or aircraft
  • Goods Tracking: Operating recording systems to track all movements of goods, and ensuring reordering and restocking at optimal times
  • Department Liaison: Liaising with other departments and customers concerning requirements for outward goods and associated forwarding transportation
  • Transaction Recording: Overseeing the recording of purchase, storage and distribution transactions
  • Budget Management: Establishing and managing budgets, controlling expenditure and ensuring the efficient use of resources
  • Procedure Development: Establishing and directing operational and administrative procedures
  • Operations Planning: Planning and directing daily operations
  • Staff Management: Overseeing the selection, training and performance of staff

4. Warehouse Attendant Accountabilities

  • Product Expertise: Develop and maintain expert knowledge of Interior Specialties products and services
  • Material Troubleshooting: Identify any problems with product materials, and work with vendors to resolve product materials problems quickly and effectively
  • Installation Coordination: Communicate with the scheduling manager about installer and installation issues
  • Scheduling Support: Support the scheduling manager
  • Order Tracking: Track orders of materials, tools, and equipment
  • Delivery Inspection: Check delivered orders for damage and completeness
  • Material Labeling: Label delivered materials and store them in the warehouse in an organized manner
  • Material Staging: Stage materials and supplies for the next day's installation and verify all materials are accounted for
  • Installer Readiness: Ensure that materials prepared for installers are complete, undamaged, and ready to be installed when they leave the warehouse
  • Paperwork Accuracy: Ensure installer paperwork packages are accurate and complete
  • Relationship Building: Build effective relationships with customers, designers, specialty contractors, suppliers, and user groups that reflect and support the core values and core focus of the company
  • Policy Feedback: Communicate with installers to determine any new issues that require changes to company policies and procedures
  • Warehouse Housekeeping: Keep the warehouses clean and organized

5. Warehouse Coordinator Functions

  • Warehouse Operations: Planning, organizing and controlling of Warehouse overall operations such as shipping, receiving, storing and delivering materials to internal and external clients
  • Process Improvement: Responsible for the Improvement and development of the warehouse operations and functions
  • Team Motivation: Promotes constant motivation among the team to strive for an efficient and effective warehouse administration
  • Safety Coordination: Coordinates the team with safety and efficiency as priorities
  • Productivity Control: Sets productivity and establishes necessary controls to ensure objectives are met within the Warehouse team
  • Physical Counting: Controls inventory levels by conducting physical counts
  • Data Reconciliation: Reconciling with the data storage system
  • Layout Planning: Maintains the physical condition of the warehouse by planning and implementing new design layouts
  • Equipment Inspection: Inspecting equipment, issuing work orders for repair and requisitions for replacement
  • Budget Reporting: Meets warehouse financial standards by providing annual budget information
  • Variance Management: Identifying variances and implementing corrective actions
  • Quality Reporting: Ensures the reduction of non-conforming material by providing correct and accurate reporting

6. Warehouse Forklift Operator Overview

  • Safety Compliance: Promotes a safe working environment and adheres to Health, Safety and Environmental procedures, company safety rules, Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) at all times
  • Outbound Picking: Responsible for the accurate pulling, checking, counting and final transfer of all outbound material against confirmed work orders or Production Department requirements
  • Inbound Verification: Verifies and reviews inbound or re-labeled material from the Production Department, ensuring that returned material is properly identified and transferred into a warehouse location
  • QAD Transactions: Assists in the maintenance of the product location system by ensuring all transactions are posted according to the company standard on the QAD system
  • Policy Adherence: Actively supports and promotes a strict adherence to Warehouse and Inventory Control Department policy and procedures
  • Inventory Adjustment: Monitors and adjusts inventory levels, and performs cycle counts to maintain accuracy
  • Housekeeping Standards: Maintains work area and environment clean and orderly
  • Training Participation: Participates in job-related training exercises
  • Pallet Jack: Operate pallet jack and ensure forklift is in good operating order

7. Warehouse Lead Details and Accountabilities

  • Production Support: Serve as a resource for Production Support to ensure that areas within the department and can perform assigned duties, achieve daily targets and foster teamwork
  • Relationship Building: Build relationships with Leads and Supervisors to maintain excellent customer service levels
  • Job Training: Conduct on-the-job training of team members through SOPs, standard work and 5S
  • Radio Communication: Responsive and professional communication via a 2-way radio
  • Deviation Investigation: Investigate and address process deviations and material discrepancies
  • Variance Response: Respond quickly and appropriately when there is an inventory variance, including responding to Redlines, reconciling bin locations, and verifying the origin of the variance
  • Improvement Collaboration: Work closely with the Industrial Engineering and Inventory Control departments regarding production improvements, picking efficiency, staging, and storing of material, app recommendations, etc.
  • Standards Compliance: Adhere to all ISO and FDA procedures and standards
  • Safety Standards: Practice and ensure a safe working environment in accordance with PINC standards
  • Operator Coverage: Fulfill operator duties for the Production Support team when additional capacity is needed
  • Continuous Improvement: Support and drive continuous improvements
  • NCR Management: Create, investigate, resolve, and trend Non-Conforming Reports (NCRs)

8. Warehouse Operative Tasks

  • Delivery Accuracy: Checking the accuracy of deliveries to customers (domestic, export, and industrial projects)
  • Error Reduction: Helping to minimise errors in picking, packing and loading
  • Logistics Support: Assisting with the daily logistics
  • Instruction Following: Following instructions by the LFS
  • Discrepancy Reporting: Reporting mistakes, inaccuracies and discrepancies immediately
  • Stock Placement: Ensuring all stock is located in the correct place
  • Deadline Support: Supporting tight timescales and given deadlines
  • Safety Standards: Maintaining a high level of health and safety standards
  • Delivery Communication: Supporting the LFS with communicating incoming and outgoing deliveries, delays, logistic issues, etc.
  • Shift Coverage: Covering for colleagues during holidays and other absences
  • Material Prefabrication: Prefabricating and cutting Sikla material according to drawings
  • Tool Cleaning: Cleaning tools and tidying up the warehouse settings

9. Shipping and Warehouse Operator Roles

  • Safe Transport: Safely move product by ABV, forklift truck or crane
  • FIFO Handling: Understand First In, First Out (FIFO) and the process for working on aged glass
  • Dock Coordination: Communicate with drivers for dock appointments
  • Dock Updating: Update dock status for staged loads
  • Shipping Logs: Complete shipping logs to correctly create the Bill of Lading
  • Equipment Inspection: Complete daily inspections of equipment being used
  • Housekeeping Standards: Drive to meet or exceed housekeeping standards during each shift
  • Process Improvement: Suggest process improvements for implementation
  • Safety Activities: Seek out opportunities during slower loading to complete items such as monthly safety items
  • Cross Training: Cross-train in all facets of shipping
  • PPE Compliance: Adhere to all safety policies and guidelines to include wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

10. Warehouse Receiver Additional Details

  • Receipt Documentation: Establishes standard documentation and maintains records regarding receipts for LTL, small package, and express shipments for inventory accuracy, vendor deliveries, and customer returns
  • X3 Updating: Updates X3 with the receipt information of purchased inventory
  • Bin Updating: Updates bin location information of receipts by SKU or vendor item number
  • Transaction Records: Maintains and transmits documentation daily for all processed transactions
  • Asset Accuracy: Maintains warehouse efficiencies, proper product identification, and asset integrity of finished goods to 97% accuracy
  • Physical Counting: Ensures and maintains YE physical count inventory, organization, and accuracy

11. Warehouse Team Lead Essential Functions

  • On-site Leadership: Manage the on-site team and foster a great working relationship with the customer
  • Work Planning: Organizes, manages and plans the day-to-day work of the team
  • Customer Flexibility: Adopt a flexible approach to customer requirements
  • Shift Scheduling: Manage the agreed shift schedule and provide cover plans for holidays and absence in collaboration with the customer
  • SOP Compliance: Ensure compliance with customer SOPs, processes and work aids
  • KPI Management: Agree on KPIs with the customer and ensure they are always achieved
  • Audit Preparation: Organize audit preparation activities
  • Process Improvement: Process improvement and productivity measurement
  • Staffing Coordination: Collaborate with the customer to agree and maintain the correct levels of staffing and facilitate the hiring of the team members
  • Safety Compliance: Ensure the team understands the customer safety and security requirements and ensure full compliance
  • Breach Escalation: Escalate any safety or security breaches to the customer immediately
  • Culture Building: Promote a harmonious culture within the team and work to resolve any team issues
  • Training Management: Ensure all the necessary training is provided to each employee
  • Record Keeping: Maintain training records and ensure all certifications are within legal guidelines

12. Warehouse Team Member Role Purpose

  • Inbound Unloading: Unloading of inbound shipments
  • Count Verification: Verify product count, assurance of no existing damage
  • WMS Paperwork: Completing required paperwork, utilizing the required WMS (Warehouse Management System)
  • Material Putaway: Putting material away into designated locations
  • Product Scanning: Scan products in and out of the location
  • Outbound Loading: Retrieving material from locations and loading of outbound shipments including verification of product count
  • Damage Prevention: Assurance of no existing damage and completion of required paperwork
  • WMS Usage: Utilizing the required Warehouse Management System
  • Inventory Accuracy: Assurance of inventory accuracy and adherence to customer quality programs including special Noatum Logistics accounts that require absolute control of loading material receipts
Relevant Information
What Does A Warehouse Associate Do?
What Does A Warehouse Supervisor Do?