Warehousing Insights | Material Handling Systems » education

WERC Houston Warehousing Seminar Rescheduled

stonesr — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:21:31 +0000

Due to Hurricane Ike, the previous dates for the WERC (Warehouse Education Resource Council) were cancelled. The Council has rescheduled. The new dates for this intensive 3-day seminar are November 10-12, 2008. WERC typically packs useful, solid information into their seminars, so if you’re in South Texas or feel like traveling there, this one may be worth your time. According to WERC, attendees will learn:

How to identify the precise problems that are the most troublesome in your warehouse
Which operations require your attention and how to prioritize work demands
Why leadership and communication skills are important to managing people, boosting morale, and solving labor/management conflicts
How to lay out your warehouse for good space utilization, material handling compatibility, and optimum flow efficiency
Which equipment and technology enablers best suit your operations for storage and handling as well as order picking and order selection.

See WERC.org for complete information. Those who registered previously do not need to re-register.

Upcoming warehousing & logistics seminars

stonesr — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:32:26 +0000

Just a quick look at the continuing education opportunities that are available to you over the next few months. None of them are endorsed here, but we are passing along links for anyone who might find the topics of interest. It can be a very mixed bag, but there are times that just one point you carry out of an educational seminar can more than pay for the whole thing…

WERC: “Achieving Warehouse Success: A Guide to Managing an Effective Operation” – September 16-19 in Houston, Texas. Their blurb says: “Your effectiveness as a warehouse supervisor or manager has a significant impact on the success of your organization. Today’s competitive, risky and challenging supply chain environment not only requires your personal commitment to excellence but also performance excellence from the employees and facilities in your charge. If you’re in a supervisory or managerial position in a warehouse setting, here’s a perfect opportunity to build or refresh your knowledge. Achieving Warehouse Success will help you understand ways to make the most of all three of your basic resources – space, equipment and labor.” Members: $975.00; Nonmembers: $1,100.00

WERC: “Benchmark Now” – September 24-25 in Scottsdale, Arizona. From the WERC page: “Learn how to analyze your company’s performance using two benchmarking sources. You’ll walk away with a strategic performance roadmap for your company based on benchmark comparisons. You have two options for the coursework: (1) bring your company data so you can actively apply a real benchmarking effort for your company – reviewing high-level performance both quantitatively and qualitatively against best practices or (2) mock data will be provided for those who prefer to learn the process to apply later.” Members: $1,195.00; Nonmembers: $1,495.00

REVERSE LOGISTICS ASSOCIATION: “Reverse Logistics in the Automotive Industry” – September 10 in Detroit, Michigan. The RLA site says “The seminars cover topics that are pertinent to OEMs, Retailers, Branded Companies and Third Party Service Providers – Returns Processing, Depot Repair, Customer Service, Call Centers, Service Logistics, Transportation, IT Process Management, Recycling, Warranty Support, Asset Management and many more. Do not miss out on the opportunity to hear directly from industry leaders as they roll up their sleeves and tackle the major issues in reverse logistics.” Info on the actual day-of events is a bit skimpy on the site. $999.00

KEN ACKERMAN’S WAREHOUSING FORUM offers a range of warehousing seminars on a private to semi-private basis. Topics include Lean Warehousing, Best Practices In Warehouse Management, Warehousing as a Competitive Weapon, and more. These are events you can schedule for you or your team with Ackerman.

Educational and training opportunities for warehousing and distribution professionals…

stonesr — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 02:13:42 +0000

WERC (the Warehousing Education and Research Council) does some great work.The group offers a terrific online research library with tons of links to web pages and PDF’s on everything from case studies to equipment analysis to facilities issues, people, processes, metrics and tons more. Another excellent resource is always WERC’s annual conference (May 2009 in Chicago) as well as local conferences like the ones we have attended in Dallas the last couple of years. The national event has Stephen Covey, author of The Speed of Trust this year.

Its self-study guides are good, and inexpensive at $14.95 for members and just $29 for nonmembers, with detailed information on personnel, processes, and more.

Georgia Tech’s Logistics and Supply Chain Institute is another terrific source for warehousing and distribution professionals.

The group has been globally recognized for the sheer breadth and depth in all things supply chain and logistics. its warehousing and distribution institute is highly recommended with e-books, downloadable slotting and visualization software, virtual warehouse tours, and more.

MHIA (Material Handling Industry of America)

MHIA is the leading trade association representing the material handling and logistics industry.You have to register, and there are some things paid, others free, but it’s all worthwhile.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the material handling resources available here at Cisco-Eagle.

We have compiled a great deal of data and free resources on all things material handling, very specific stuff that is less academic, but more specific to equipment and functions within the warehouse. We’ve designed a ton of material handling tools and guides. Want to know how much pallet rack can fit in a particular area? The RackEstimator will tell you in just a few moments, all online, without registration and completely free. It even kicks out basic drawings and equipment lists. The MHIA awarded us for the content in our constantly growing database of conveyor articles in 2005.

I’ll update this area as often as possible, when we find more available supply chain and warehousing resources. Till then, there’s more than enough for you to cover here.