What Are the Duties of a Storekeeper?
The duties of a storekeeper include receiving materials, arranging received items, checking inventory, issuing items and purchasing requisitions. A storekeeper is also responsible for coordination and supervision of junior staff within the store.
Receiving Materials A storekeeper is responsible for receiving goods from respective suppliers. He or she has to ensure that the items received are as per the purchase order. In most cases, the storekeeper has to physically check all items enclosed in boxes, containers or holding bags.
Arrangement of Received Goods Items received should be properly serialized or coded and stored in specific areas of the store for ease of retrieval. The storekeeper ensures that received items are well stored in a safe manner. For items that deteriorate easily, the storekeeper has to ensure that such materials are well preserved as per the products’ specifications.
Return of Defective Goods In the event that the supplied items are damaged during transit or do not meet the minimum requirements, a storekeeper has to ensure that such items are returned to the supplier. This can be done by requesting the supplier to pick up defective items, or by arranging for transport to the supplier’s warehouse.
Check Inventory A storekeeper is tasked with the responsibility of keeping track of inventory in the store. Tracking inventory enables ease of monitoring the use of several items and ensures that the store does not run out of vital stock. Keeping track of inventory can be done through use of several specialized computer software, or manually, by keeping records in a store ledger.
Issue of Materials It is the responsibility of a storekeeper to issue materials to authorized persons. Each issued item should be properly documented for future reference and accountability. In addition, it is the duty of a storekeeper to receive all excess materials and tools.
Issue of Purchase Requisition When the level of stock of a specific item in the store surpasses the set minimum, it is the duty of the storekeeper to make a purchase requisition to the purchasing department. This prevents the items in stock from completely running out without being restocked. In some instances, the purchasing department uses data from the storekeeper to make decisions on the quantity of items to purchase.
Reserve Items for Specific Projects Upon request, it is the duty of the storekeeper to ensure that some long-lead items are reserved for specific projects. This is done for ease of planning and saving time.
Ensure Unauthorized Persons Do Not Access the Store To safeguard the contents of the store, a storekeeper is responsible for ensuring that no unauthorized persons access the area. In this regard, the storekeeper has to ensure that the store is always locked when he, she or any other responsible person is not present.
Coordination and Supervision of Junior Staff A storekeeper works together with other junior staff who assist in the arrangement and retrieval of items. In this regard, the storekeeper has a duty to ensure coordination and smooth flow of activities in the store. Moreover, the storekeeper assigns tasks to individual junior staff within the store.
