In the last two decades, smart companies have identified the warehouse operation as a profit center, not a cost center. This is far from universal, but it inches toward that every day. No longer are warehouse managers considered box-hustlers – at least not in smart companies. Many are utilizing varying levels of automation. WMS is standard for larger operations and is making its way even to single-building, midsize and smaller ones.
Warehouse Productivity: Prove, Improve it
Tags: Robotics, Automation, ROI
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
Smart Labor Management Helps Cut Warehouse Costs
It’s important to control costs in your operation. What are some warehousing cost-cutting methods you can employ that don’t require extensive investment or re-tooling? Most of the costs of warehousing operations fall into the following categories:
- People
- Real Estate, Utilities & other Fixed Costs
- Inventory
- Technology
Tags: Warehouse Management, Automation, employees, ergonomics, ROI, labor management, LCS
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
A Quick Guide to Reducing Warehouse Costs
Over at the Operations & Fulfillment site, Curt Barry has written a brief, informative piece on reducing warehouse costs. In particular during a difficult economic climate, cost reduction is at the top of mind for distribution operations.
Tags: distribution center, product slotting, warehouse productivity, ROI, labor management
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|
Conveyor Systems: Total Cost of Ownership
The amount on your purchase invoice isn’t the last time you’ll pay for that conveyor, but those ongoing costs of operations can be dramatically reduced by making good decisions at the point of purchase. Conveyor systems designed for future considerations slash costs and perform better.
Tags: Conveyor, warehousing, conveyor systems, ROI, Sustainability
Posted in Conveyor Optimization|
How to Improve Order Picking without Automation
Cliff Holste at Supply Chain Digest (opens in a new window) has a good piece on ways to improve picking productivity.
Distribution centers will benefit from emerging automated case picking technologies, but those don’t fit for every operation, at every level. They’re also expensive upgrades, so your ROI has to be considered as well.
Tags: Warehouse Management, warehousing, order fulfillment, distribution center, ROI, Order Picking & Fulfillment
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|