Companies are utilizing 3PL services for their warehousing and shipping needs more often than ever. Many of the companies who choose to shift their operations to third parties are e-commerce entities that specialize in producing and selling a product and don’t want to run a storage and shipping facility. Others are traditional distributors, retailers, and others who believe that they should focus on core competencies.
If your company is considering a 3PL for its warehousing, shipping and logistics needs, what information do you need to have ready?
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Tags: 3PL, logistics, warehouse storage, warehouse, ROI, Third Party Logistics, ecommerce
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
3PL companies operate in an environment that demands rapid changes and requires continual evolution.
Client requirements can change in a week (or less). New business opportunities can spring up that were unanticipated a month before. From my days working for a 3PL, I know that the ability to swiftly change in order to satisfy both your customer’s increasing demands and those of an industry that never rests were a top priority. The problem? That’s easy to understand, but hard to do.
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Tags: warehouse flow, 3PL, logistics, mezzanine, warehouse, ROI, Third Party Logistics, time management, time saving, flexibility
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
A loading dock is like a football center: It touches the ball every play, but gets no glory when things go well.
Almost all warehouses and manufacturing facilities induct and ship out almost everything through the dock area. Your shipping and receiving areas are the conduit between your operation and the world beyond. Finding ways to improve operations in the dock area can yield positive results for almost any business. Whether your operation processes 10 pallets or 10,000 packages a day, you can improve the entire operation by optimizing dock operations.
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Tags: customer service, labor, ROI
Posted in Docks & Shipping|
Pallet racks are durable, and you know that if you spend any time in this industry. When properly specified, installed, used and maintained, they can last for decades. If you choose to install used racks, take sensible precautions to ensure safety and stability.
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Tags: ROI, facility safety, Steel King, Heavy Rack Systems
Posted in Pallet & Warehouse Racks|
You know that your warehouse is critically important to being able to satisfy customers. You know how warehousing mistakes can impact your company’s bottom line, and how excellent warehousing can boost it. You know that a lack of resources can cripple a thriving storage or distribution operation. You also know that there are people in some organizations who don’t understand this.
Communicating the warehouse’s value is almost as important as establishing it.
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Tags: lean warehousing, distribution centers, return on investment, ROI, Corporate Culture
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
When it comes to warehousing operations, there are many ways to approach a continuous improvement project. You can automate, you can reorganize. You can employ a consultant. Three of the constant factors are time, standards, and data.
Here are some insights on each of these important areas:
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Tags: wcs, benchmarking, data, facility optimization, WMS, lean warehousing, ROI
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|
Reducing steps and wasted time
How many steps do your floor managers take going back and forth to the computer and print stations in the plant as they do their jobs? How much time does all that walking take over a year’s time? How much more work could be done if computers and printers could go where they do? If you’re managing materials going to and from storage, all that travel time is taking valuable people assets away from what should be their primary function. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: ROI
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
Waste might be the most critical measure for manufacturing operations – waste of labor, materials, time and money. Many companies are faced with nearly constant pressure to cut costs and increase efficiency, even as demand spikes. This means reducing costs without compromising quality or throughput. What are some things you can do to balance these needs?
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Tags: lean manufacturing, ROI, Cost Reduction, assembly, cost-of-goods
Posted in Manufacturing|
Incentive programs are surprisingly common for industrial operations, and they can produce significant savings, quality increases and improved employee satisfaction – if the program is built correctly. In manufacturing, assemblers are often incentivized for quality and speed. In warehousing, it can be reduced product damage, pick rates, error rates or any number of other categories. When companies build out these programs, there are opportunities to create great value. How are companies going about this?
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Tags: personnel, labor, ROI, industrial, Incentives, warehouse workers, bonus programs
Posted in Manufacturing|
The year is coming to an end, and many operations need to address records storage. We see an influx of companies coming to work with us on their records storage and archive storage areas from October through April. With new healthcare and other regulations, companies must store an increasing amount of paper records. If you have enough of a records storage load, and lack either the space or the time to manage your archives, you may opt to use a third party records storage facility.
When you are specifying a vendor, here are some questions you should ask.
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Tags: pallet racks, ROI
Posted in Storage, Organization & Workstations|
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