Is It Time to Update Your Prep Area & Work Flow?

Apr 2

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Do you LOVE packing and prepping your inventory OR does it leave you drained?

For me, I dreaded packing and prepping my inventory because it sucked the life out of me! Like a giant leach.

Recently, I decided to do something about it. I updated my prep area and work flow and it has helped so much that I wanted to share what I learned with you.

Here’s what we will cover :

The “Before”
Map it out
Ask Questions
Make a plan
Test & Adjust

The “Before”

Before we begin, here is a really bad “before” photo of my office…

I also made this very artistic drawing of my old work flow below. As you can see…. it’s a mess. Supplies is scattered everywhere shown in pink. The bed and floor store my incoming inventory. I had one small table for outgoing inventory that was ALWAYS out of room. Nothing made any sense.

No wonder I was always exhausted from prepping.

1. Map it out

The first step is to map out your current process.

Start a note and type the steps a bottle of shampoo would have to take to go from point A (coming into your office) to point B (leaving your office). You can also make a floor plan drawing like I did above, if that helps.

Here’s what mine looked like. Your process might be very similar but make adjustments where you need to.

2. Ask Questions

Next, let’s ask some basic questions about these steps.

What do you need for each step? For example - your printer, supplies or desk area?

Do you have what you need? Yes, no or possibly?

Is the current situation working for you? Working great or needs improvement?

Write all your answers down! This is where you will really start to evaluate what areas to focus on.

I’ve shared mine below! I could really see a use for shelving and putting my printer and supplies in one area.

3. Make a plan

Here come the fun part! It’s time to come up with solutions, make a plan and get what you need. This is going to look different for everyone.

The key is to make sure you have what you need for each step from your work flow.

For me, I shopped for shelves and found some really cheap ones at Walmart for $35 each. I decided to start with 2. You could also get needed items from yard sales, thrift stores or Facebook marketplaces if you would like.

TIP : If you plan on adding, moving or removing furniture from your area be sure to have a tape measure handy and measure everything before you move it or purchase it!

I also decided to drag in my old “L” shaped desk from the garage and put in the corner for more work area. This also gave me room to move my Rollo near my computer and inventory so I don’t have to walk across the room each time I print.

To save room and keep all my supplies in one area I put all my storage drawers under my desk. At first they didn’t fit so I got some 1.5” PVC from Home Depot and lifted the desk a few inches.

$70, 2 book shelves, some $6 PVC and a few furniture rearrangements later I had completely transformed my prep area and work flow.

Just look at how much better it is!

Now all my inventory comes in near the window and each step flows my inventory toward the door and out of the office.

4. Test & Adjust

Now that your prep area and work flow has been updated, test it out!

It may take some getting use to at first but after a couple of weeks you’ll be able to reevaluate and make adjustments as needed.

For me, I will probably get some more book shelves in the future. In the meantime the overflow goes on the table fold up table.

I may also come up with a shelf area for my poly bag collection. It is currently stacked under the desk. Not the worst… but room for improvement.

I have used my new work flow a few times and i’m in love with it. I still don’t like prepping but I don’t dread it as much!

I also feel like prepping is much quicker and less soul sucking.

You can’t put a price on that!

Conclusion

Whether you are doing a total work flow makeover like me or just tweaking a few things. Having a work flow that works for you is key!

Frequently asked questions -

What are the 3 basic components of workflow?

The three basic components of a workflow diagram are input, transformation, output. Every step within a workflow is assigned one of these statuses - https://www.kuali.co/post/workflow-diagram

What makes a good workflow?

A good workflow is one that provides deep insights into business processes. A well-planned and designed workflow streamlines business processes by eliminating redundancies and duplication. Improved visibility, communication, and control over the business process are some of the other advantages of process workflows - https://www.cflowapps.com/what-makes-a-good-workflow/