Above: in this automated e-commerce distribution center, picks are packed into cartons from totes on the conveyor line. Because conveyors deliver the totes directly to workers, and the work is executed at ergonomic heights, the process is fast and efficient.
Order fulfillment is only as fast as its slowest function, and packing–often the last stop before shipping–can be a bottleneck. We’ve analyzed many operations that underestimated the needs of the packing department from the start, while others realized over time that new requirements, new SKUs and order volumes that were fine at go-live eventually bogged the packing function. It’s not unusual for picking processes to react faster and better to these conditions than the packing area.
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Tags: ecommerce, 3PL, Third Party Logistics
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|
Above: workers in a distribution center putaway aisle with flow and bulk storage accessibility. Picking aisles are left clear as the system is replenished. Photo credit: Unex Manufacturing.
Putaway, which is the methods and processes that occur between receiving inventory and that inventory resting in storage positions in a warehouse, may have more impact on the performance of order fulfillment or warehousing operation than most anything else.
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Tags: 3PL, Third Party Logistics, ecommerce
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|
If you run a warehouse or distribution facility today, it’s likely that you are busy — really busy — and scrambling for time. E-commerce has changed the game, as customers demand more, faster, better. Managing a warehouse has always been a battle for time and the pressure never seems to subside. When we talk to warehouse managers and operators, here are some of the issues they face on a daily basis.
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Tags: 3PL, Third Party Logistics, ecommerce
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
In warehouses, about 25% of injuries come at or near the loading dock area.
This is usually because it’s such a focal point of any distribution operation—it’s where everything is accepted and put away and where everything eventually processes out. This means that at times the dock will buzz with forklifts, workers on foot and other bursts of activity. It has a natural fall hazard in the edge of the dock. It’s got exposure to elements, meaning that it may have moisture, oils and other trip/slip hazards. When it comes to preventing falls, what are OSHA’s requirements? And what should you do above and beyond them?
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Tags: 3PL, Third Party Logistics, ecommerce
Posted in Docks & Shipping|
When a prospective client wants to visit your 3PL facility, it’s critical; you could be on the verge of new business.
You want to show them why they should select you as their 3PL of choice; that you’re the best choice; that you can be trusted to help them serve their clients. It’s no easy task running a successful warehouse or third party logistics company – it’s a multi-faceted organization with its own specific attributes and specialties.
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Tags: 3PL, lean warehousing, warehouse, Third Party Logistics, warehouse flow, ecommerce, Warehouse Management, warehousing, Material Handling
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
Logistics pros are a lot like the offensive line on a football team: at their best, you know they are doing a great job, but their numbers never get called by television announcers. When they do talk line, it’s usually because someone committed a penalty or allowed a blitzing safety in for a sack. When the quarterback isn’t pressured and there are great running lanes, the line rarely gets mentioned. It’s kind of the same for 3PLs.
The goal of your 3PL should be to avoid those issues and remain unseen and unremarked on by end users.
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Tags: warehouse flow, Warehouse Management, 3PL, lean warehousing, warehouse, warehouse productivity, Third Party Logistics
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
Winter is always coming.
While you might not be battling an army of zombie warriors, the seasonal surge in orders and fulfillment poised to engulf your 3PL warehouse can feel like a never-ending battle. Preparing for this fulfillment onslaught should be the goal for any efficient 3PL, so you can be ready for the inevitable increase in all facets of your business. By efficiently handling the high volumes of orders that flow through your warehouse during peak season, you’ll enjoy the spoils of higher production, correct shipments and overall customer/client satisfaction.
To enhance the preparation, you need to analyze each segment of your process and pick those that seem to be the biggest torment.
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Tags: Warehouse Management, 3PL, productivity, warehouse, warehouse productivity, Third Party Logistics, performance improvement, warehouse flow
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|
E-commerce customers are increasingly comfortable with a buying experience that includes easy, free and frequent returns. Returns—and the issues involved with them—are nothing new for retail and e-commerce distribution. The “new normal” of frequent returns offers 3PLs that can leverage their reverse logistics capacity a significant competitive advantage over competitors who can’t adapt to the new reality.
While some companies consider reverse logistics a necessary evil, those with well-managed returns programs can increase overall efficiency and profitability while satisfying customers and increasing loyalty. They find ways to resell more returned products, and can dispose of or restock what they can’t resell more efficiently and with less environmental impact.
What are some ways to increase your returns capacity?
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Tags: warehousing, 3PL, logistics, warehouse, inventory control, warehouse productivity, Third Party Logistics, inventory, Warehouse Management
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
You’ve heard this pitch before: If you just implement this software, or that machinery, or hire my consultant, or buy into this other program, you’ll realize amazing gains. You’ll be more productive; more accurate; you’ll work less hours. Things will be great.
You may really need to expand your facility, or install expensive new WMS software or add high levels of automation, but it’s always worth checking on process or facility layout changes before you take the plunge. What are some areas you should consider?
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Tags: 3PL, distribution systems, Third Party Logistics, KPI, warehouse performance, Process Management, ecommerce
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
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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Tags: warehousing, Material Handling, 3PL, logistics, Supply Chain, distribution center, warehouse, Third Party Logistics, ecommerce, Warehouse Management
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
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