The ever-changing nature of warehouse management means that few methods and processes are constant, and even the most tried-and-true warehouse operations or fulfillment methods are going to be altered sometimes.

These changes and advances can leave less-prepared warehouses scrambling to keep up, and as the old saying goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The prevention, in this case, is to implement strategies to always refine, change, and alter your processes to better keep up with changing product demand, logistics management, and anything else that might throw a wrench in the proverbial works.

Here’s a few things you can focus on to keep up with the changing landscape of warehouse management and make sure you can remain efficient and competitive into the future:

Continually refine your products and services.

This is something any business could stand to do, but it applies equally to the warehousing business. Whether you distribute products to retail outlets, sell directly to consumers via e-commerce or sales floors, a key component to staying ahead of changing trends is to recognize that sales channels and customers may have requirements that your primary channel can’t meet the way it is now. Flexibility in sales operations and management systems is crucial for keeping up in the world of retail and commerce, and may very well keep you afloat even during the most turbulent sales times.

Constant focus on inventory management.

Moreso than ever before, inventory management is a huge factor in keeping your warehouse successful and current. These days, warehouses can receive stock from (or ship stock to) multiple warehouses and stores, more than they typically have in the past, and this can have a huge impact on operations. Make sure to prioritize efficient use of labor and warehouse storage to keep your inventory stocked, accessible, and accurately tracked, implement customer-facing inventory systems to give your clients and partners a better idea of what you have at hand, and work to make your outbound shipping practices as cost-effective as possible.

Frequent optimization of supply chains.

Particularly these days, with America’s increased reliance on overseas manufacturing, supply chains have gotten increasingly complicated and multifaceted. Rather than just focusing on your internal warehouse management, consider improving your inbound and outbound supply chains to reduce cost and increase efficiency. Work with your vendors to exchange information about purchase orders, delivery times, and other product shipping factors, and work to address time-to-customer and shipping costs by using multiple distribution centers and delivery options like zone skipping and last-mile delivery.

Maintaining and refining talent.

No matter how long you’ve been in business, keeping talented staff and management can be one of the hardest parts of operating a warehouse. Instead of focusing on the fluctuations of the labor market, shift your attention to developing and retaining staff across all levels of operations. Find out what each department and team needs to be successful, and develop internal processes to keep everything productive and working without a lot of turnover.

Be flexible and continually improve.

There’s a fine balance between improving your processes and constantly changing horses midstream, but there’s a lot of good that can come from being flexible in your processes.

Continually work to refine objectives to get a better idea of where your warehouse needs to be, and set the appropriate goals and processes to get there in time. Review and set objectives for inventory capacity increases, system improvement, labor management, and overall improvement of workflow frequently through the year to make sure your goals are being met while keeping up with changing trends and process needs.