Years ago, during a busy time at one of our warehouses, an intruder entered our building through an open dock door and proceeded to steal things from some offices. Thankfully, nobody was harmed and nothing was really lost, but the incident underlined the need to control access to our facility while still letting fresh Spring air flow. To prevent intrusions and still allow easy access, there are some options for warehouses and manufacturing facilities with large dock doors.

Since 87% of warehouse inventory losses occur at warehouses and shipping yards, dock doors – and the way they are guarded – play a critical role in overall security.

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I always look forward to the annual DC Velocity/WERC (Warehousing Education and Research Council) distribution center metrics survey, which provides insight into what measurements are most critical according to DC managers. These concerns have shifted over the years, but perhaps never so significantly in a single year as 2017’s survey, with topics like “on time shipments” falling out of first place for only the second time.

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As the “greatest supply chain expo on earth,” ProMat is an opportunity to discover the latest manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain solutions to move your business forward. This year, the show featured four keynotes on new ways to drive productivity, in addition to more than 100 show floor seminars on autonomous vehicles and sustainable facility solutions.

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It’s a good time to be in the third party logistics business. 3PLs are in demand with no end in sight as the warehousing industry copes with higher volumes, increasing e-commerce demands and challenging customer expectations.

This gives 3PL operators with a unique opportunity to build lasting relationships with key customers, suppliers, and retailers of their choice. However, this can also lead to an increased demand for quality service from warehouses and fulfillment centers. In order for 3PLs to succeed in this new environment, they must be ready to face increasing levels of customer and prospect expectations.

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As your 3PL grows and attracts more clients, products, and infrastructure, your product movement and storage capacity won’t be able to keep up with the increased volume. Growth is a great problem to have, but it’s still a problem.

Intelligent warehouse automation is an effective way to create better flow, enhance efficiency, ramp up throughput, reduce errors and improve your processes.  Introducing automated systems into your current warehouse environment can produce drastic reductions in time spent on certain day-to-day activities.

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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has long required that pallet rack flue space should remain clear at all times so that any fires can successfully vent up rather than out, allowing sprinkler systems to activate faster. This vertical rise also helps slow fire spreading horizontally through a rack system. Flue space compliance is increasingly important to insurers and operators of warehouses and other industrial facilities. What can you do to help reduce issues with flue space obstruction?

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ISNetworld is a global resource for connecting corporations with safe, reliable contractors/suppliers from all types of industries. ISN collects self-reported safety, procurement, sustainability, quality and regulatory information from contractors and suppliers, verifies its accuracy, and then reports the results in an easy-to-follow format. This allows corporations to select companies that best meet internal and governmental requirements, while providing contractors/suppliers the opportunity to centralize their conformance information, saving time and gaining presence in the marketplace.

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According to the American Ladder Institute (ALI), every year more than 300 fatalities in ladder-related accidents. Thousands more suffer disabling injuries. That’s why the ALI has declared March National Ladder Safety Month – the organization wants to raise awareness of ladder safety. As you plan ahead for the coming month, consider using March as a time to emphasize ladder safety among your workers.

Ladder-related citations are frequently among the top 10 most frequently cited safety violations, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), currently ranking number 7 overall.  Make sure you’ve created a safe work environment in your facility for ladder safety.

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In Logistics Management Magazine’s 2017 Warehouse/DC survey, there isn’t a lot that will surprise people on the front line of order fulfillment, storage, logistics and distribution management. As it has been for a while, e-commerce is driving the train, and its effects cascade into the rest of the business.  What are the major takeaways?

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Light-directed picking is the heavyweight champion when it comes to productivity gains, order picking speed, increased accuracy, and ease of operator development.

Because it’s 100% hands-free and requires no headpiece, it’s also highly flexible for many challenging fulfillment operations. We’ve compiled ten ways to analyze your operation to determine if these systems would be a fit for you. Obviously, more specific information will be needed, but this should get you started.

We spoke with Lightning Pick’s Dave Broadfoot about the best ways to ensure you are making a good pick-to-light decision.

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