WHAT DOES A WAREHOUSE SUPERVISOR DO?

Published: Dec 25, 2025 - The Warehouse Supervisor manages daily warehouse operations to ensure safe handling, accurate inventory control, and on-time receiving and shipping activities. This role leads and develops warehouse associates through clear scheduling, coaching, and performance management while enforcing SOPs, safety regulations, and quality standards. The supervisor monitors operational KPIs, resolves workflow and compliance issues, and implements continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency and customer service levels.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Warehouse Supervisor

1. Warehouse Supervisor Duties

  • WMS Reporting: Reviews WMS reports, notifies WMS personnel regarding shutdowns or other WMS failures
  • SOP Compliance: Utilizes Standard Operating Procedures to resolve and correct problems
  • Issue Communication: Communicates issues to the Inbound Outbound Manager
  • Staffing Analysis: Reviews reports to determine daily department staffing levels
  • Staffing Planning: Reviews staffing plan with Inbound Outbound Manager
  • Labor Transfer: Develops continuity in the utilization of the Labor Transfer pay program
  • Staffing Review: Conducts weekly and monthly staffing review with the Inbound Outbound Manager
  • Training Coordination: Partners with the Training Department to monitor new employee development tracking
  • Goal Planning: Plans daily production goals
  • Productivity Improvement: Utilizes the Productivity Improvement Plan process to identify improvement areas
  • Quality Monitoring: Reviews quality measurements and reports status to the Inbound Outbound Manager
  • Record Keeping: Maintains employee records daily
  • Safety Support: Supports safety programs to reduce or eliminate employee injuries
  • Performance Reviews: Conducts annual employee reviews and merit increase evaluations
  • Talent Selection: Interviews and selects candidates for employment in partnership with the Human Resources department
  • Employee Counseling: Performs counseling sessions and is empowered to dismiss employees in applicable situations

2. Warehouse Supervisor Details

  • SPS Flow Design: Define the internal flow architecture based on the principles of SPS
  • Performance Management: Responsible for employee performance, development, engagement, discipline, etc.
  • Material Supply: Responsible for the continuous supply of materials to one or more production or assembly areas
  • Line Kitting: Responsible for kitting materials on the production line to ensure all parts of the order required are at the point of origination to keep the line moving at a steady pace
  • Kit Picking: Responsible for picking parts from Kanban or storage areas and placing the parts into a storage cart kit
  • Quantity Control: Ensures correct parts are kept in the appropriate quantities to support production and assembly requirements
  • Inventory Replenishment: Take parts from the inventory area and ensure the Water Spider is kept stocked at appropriate levels of inventory
  • Forklift Operation: Operate a forklift truck or a hand truck for the delivery or picking of parts and supplies
  • Part Inspection: Inspects parts for damage or defects
  • Damage Reporting: Records discrepancies or damages and notifies supervisor and or Quality personnel
  • Policy Compliance: Follows established departmental policies, procedures, and objectives, continuous quality improvement objectives, and safety and environmental standards
  • Equipment Care: Ensures proper care in the use and maintenance of equipment and supplies
  • Safety Improvement: Promotes continuous improvement of workplace safety and environmental practices
  • OSHA Compliance: Establishes and maintains a safe and healthful working environment in accordance with OSHA requirements
  • Asset Utilization: Assure the effective and continuous utilization of assets
  • Cycle Counting: Perform cycle counts and physical inventory

3. Warehouse Supervisor Responsibilities

  • Warehouse Operations: Maintains receiving, warehousing, and distribution operations
  • Policy Enforcement: Initiating, coordinating, and enforcing program, operational, and personnel policies and procedures
  • Regulatory Compliance: Complies with federal, state, and local warehousing, material handling, and shipping requirements
  • Legislation Review: Studying existing and new legislation
  • Requirement Enforcement: Enforcing adherence to requirements
  • Management Advising: Advising management on needed actions
  • Warehouse Security: Safeguards warehouse operations and contents
  • Security Monitoring: Establishing and monitoring security procedures and protocols
  • Inventory Control: Controls inventory levels by conducting physical counts, reconciling with the data storage system

4. Warehouse Supervisor Accountabilities

  • Facility Maintenance: Maintains the physical condition of the warehouse
  • Layout Planning: Planning and implementing new design layouts
  • Equipment Inspection: Inspecting equipment, issuing work orders for repair and requisitions for replacement
  • Budget Management: Achieves financial objectives by preparing an annual budget, scheduling expenditures, analyzing variances, and initiating corrective actions
  • Operations Completion: Completes warehouse operational requirements
  • Staff Scheduling: Scheduling and assigning employees, following up on work results
  • Staff Recruitment: Maintains warehouse staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees
  • Performance Coaching: Maintains warehouse staff job results by coaching, counseling, and disciplining employees, planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
  • On Time Shipping: Maintains on-time shipping and cycle counts

5. Warehouse Supervisor Functions

  • Schedule Coordination: Supports the Abbott Vascular Distribution Strategy by coordinating schedules and implementing activities for the Distribution function
  • Operations Oversight: Overseeing personnel, directing operations and following up on transactions, to ensure department standards and the Regulations are observed
  • Sterilization Control: Manages sterilization, returned goods, receipt, storage and transaction of finished goods in accordance with validated procedures
  • Order Processing: Ensures that customer orders are processed quickly and accurately to meet Abbott Vascular standards
  • Staffing Planning: Implements a staffing plan by identifying resource requirements, writing justifications for additional personnel, obtaining approval for changes, and coordinating the selection process with Human Resources
  • Team Development: Develops direct reports by securing appropriate training, assigning progressively challenging tasks, applying progressive disciplinary action as appropriate and conducting formal written and verbal performance reviews
  • Daily Supervision: Monitors daily work operations and provides direction to predominantly nonexempt and entry-level staff to achieve unit or departmental goals
  • Customer Interaction: Interacts with internal and external customers by meeting regularly, responding to requests and explaining procedures
  • Policy Execution: Interprets and executes policies that affect individuals within the assigned organizational unit or department
  • Compliance Monitoring: Monitors compliance with company policies and procedures, including compliance with FDA, BSI and EEO regulations
  • Work Scheduling: Develops work schedules for the department by assessing priorities, workload, and available resources
  • Personnel Records: Maintains personnel records, including work schedules, vacation schedules and leaves, and makes or directs modifications in the database to reflect actual changes
  • Staff Motivation: Promotes department goals by selecting, motivating, and training capable staff
  • Team Guidance: Leads the activities of assigned staff by communicating and providing guidance towards achieving department objectives
  • Resource Scheduling: Schedules human and material resources within a department or section in conjunction with near term plans to ensure their availability
  • Budget Management: Carries out operations within an established budget
Relevant Information
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