There are two types of people in the world right now: People who have heard of 2048, and people who are still able to focus on their jobs. Yes, the ever-popular tile-stacking math game has successfully stolen the attention of people across the nation who are trying to focus on things that don’t involve numbered tiles.

Believe it or not, there are some very important warehouse safety lessons that we can learn from this focus-siphoning life-stealer of a browser game.

When you really break down the strategy involved in 2048, you’ll find that it can actually be applied to a few different areas.

For example…

Pallet Stacking

The 2048 strategy: For those who haven’t played it (you’re out there, I just know it), the premise of 2048 is simple: merge numbered tiles to form tiles with bigger numbers, eventually working your way up to the (wait for it) 2048 tile.

Needless to say, if you just pound on the arrow keys and hope things go well, you won’t get very far. Before you know it, you’ll have a random assortment of tiles of various numbers with no rhyme or reason to them, and a successful recovery will have become all but impossible.

Taking your time and planning your moves carefully, however, will greatly increase your chances of success.

How it applies to your warehouse: Just like with numbered tiles, randomly stacking things on a pallet and then just hoping for the best is not a solid strategy.

Here’s the funny thing about stacking boxes on a pallet: If you just start cramming as much as you can onto there without planning ahead, you’ll most likely end up being LESS efficient than you would have been if you’d planned ahead.

Plus, if your haphazard box stacking isn’t structurally sound, it could lead to some major problems for you later on. You could end up with some damaged products, or worse, damaged employees.

But, just like in 2048, if you plan ahead and stack boxes or products correctly and efficiently, you can maximize both safety and space.

Forklift Safety

The 2048 strategy: Even if you take your time and plan out each move carefully, not having a solid strategy in place will ultimately lead to your game being cut short.

And sure, you could sit there playing game after game until you work out the winning strategy for yourself, but who has that kind of time? Just Google “2048 strategy” and let someone who knows what they’re doing show you how it’s done.

Once you know the ins and outs of tile stacking, you’ll find that things will go much more smoothly for you.

How it applies to your warehouse: Can you think of some large piece of equipment in your warehouse that you should never use until you’ve learned the proper techniques?

That’s right. A forklift (other acceptable answers: the TV in the break room, a vending machine, or the Power Loader from ‘Alien’).

Sure, if you really felt like it, you could hop onto a forklift and just start jamming on the controls, haphazardly driving around and stacking pallets until you find what works.

That is, if you don’t mind endangering the lives of yourself and everyone around you, not to mention putting all of your products at risk.

For those who feel that personal safety is a bit more important (read: a decent human being), forklift training is absolutely essential before getting behind the controls.

And that’s not just a good idea. It’s the law.

Continuing Success

The 2048 strategy: You finally did it.

You applied proper strategy, you planned your moves carefully, and after trying and failing more times than you’d like to admit, you’ve finally reached that 2048 tile.

But why stop there? Don’t be that guy who just does the bare minimum and then calls it a win.

Sure, you’ve already “won,” but the game doesn’t have to stop there. Keep that thing going and really drive that score up! Get yourself one of those 4096 tiles!

How it applies to your warehouse: Congratulations! You’re doing a great job of stacking products and pallets safely, your employees have completed their government-required safety training, and things seem to be going smoothly!

Looks like you get to kick back and watch everything run like a well-oiled machine, right?

Come on, man.

Just because you meet all the necessary requirements and regulations doesn’t mean that you should stop looking for more ways to improve safety and efficiency.

From a safety standpoint, regular refreshers for your employees on proper rules and techniques will go a long way towards avoiding costly (and dangerous) accidents.

As for efficiency, unless you’re running the world’s most perfect warehouse (you’re not), there are always ways to improve. Maybe you need some new equipment. Maybe you need some custom pallets. The possibilities are endless.

Remember, the minute you stop looking for ways to improve is the minute you stop improving.

About Brian Pigott

Brian Pigott is an engineer and customer-centric entrepreneur. Brian is the Managing Director of One Way Solutions.

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