Warehousing Distribution Planning
Warehouse Capacity Improvement
Probably the most frequent lament heard from our warehouse clients is the “I am running out of space in the warehouse”. Unless you are that rare company that has control over your forecasting and inventory management functions, you have probably said the same thing.
The first reaction from the warehouse is that you have too much [...]
Improve Warehouse Productivity by Measuring and Posting Numbers
A common theme we run into daily as we work with warehouse operations around the country is how to reduce labor costs. Labor usually makes up 50% or more of the total cost of operating a warehouse when you consider direct and indirect labor, occupancy costs, and packaging materials. Given this high cost, it is [...]
How Well Is Your Warehouse Treating Your Customers?
It never ceases to amaze me how companies will spend untold time and money to source product and find someone to buy it and then provide poor enough fulfillment services that the customer never comes back. If you consider the cost of acquiring a customer, it makes sense to me that you would do everything [...]
Utilizing Bar Code Technology in Your Warehouse
If there is one technology that can help improve warehouse operations, it has to be the utilization of bar code scanning. Those warehouses that employ a wide use of this technology reap significant benefits. Improvements in productivity and accuracy are possible. Since these two areas are usually the focus of most warehouse operations, it makes [...]
Reducing The Risk In Using Third Party Logistics
As we work with clients looking for a third party logistics option to meet their needs, a few recommendations come to mind. One of the greatest fears in giving your fulfillment function to someone else is the unknown factors of how your customers will be treated and what your cost will be for their services. [...]
Strong Fulfillment Operations Through Rock Solid Basics
While working at a few warehouses recently, a few observations stand out. Probably the most important is to make sure the basics are in place before moving on to more complicated or advanced issues and solutions. Running a warehouse is like building a house. The foundation has to be in place before you consider building [...]
One option for going direct to your customers
In this economy, everyone is looking for some kind of advantage – a way to build their brand image, how to increase product margins, reduce warehouse and logistics expenses – all while sticking to their core competencies. This can be especially difficult for consumer product goods companies and manufacturers. Often times they sell through vendor [...]
Laying It All Out in the Distribution Center
This was written recently by Multichannel Merchant’s Melissa Dowling
Your warehouse layout plays a huge part in the effectiveness of your operation, says Curt Barry, president of operations consultancy F. Curtis Barry & Co., At a session during the NCOF show in Las Vegas in March, Barry detailed some of the steps to reviewing a distribution [...]
Measuring Your Employee’s Performance
The following is from a recently received email sent to Curt Barry…
Dear Curt -
We met briefly at the NCOF conference in Vegas, and I wanted to reach out to you regarding performance errors. I was hoping you could provide me with some insight into how other 3 PL fulfillment companies manage employee errors. Currently, we [...]
BI systems across the enterprise
The most serious business information problem companies face is finding a “single version of the truth.” Many companies are installing best-of-breed systems for order management, fulfillment, call center, marketing, product information, inventory, finance and e-commerce.
Yet no one vendor in the marketplace today can provide more than two of the best-of-breed components needed. Even most ERP [...]
