warehouse flow | Warehousing Insights | Material Handling Systems
Cisco-Eagle Logo

Warehouse Robotics – How to Apply Them to Your Needs

May 3, 2018

warehouse robotics

While warehouse robotics can be thought of as too futuristic, there are many e-commerce fulfillment applications being installed today that are set up to take full advantage of all they have to offer a facility. Some may be leery of this technology, but it would be a mistake to say that robotics would never apply to your warehouse.

Today’s robotic applications are all based on existing applications and technology, not uncharted research, and each generation of technology gets cheaper. Here are some important considerations when looking at applying warehouse robotics today.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|

How to Prepare Your Warehouse for a Client Tour

December 13, 2017

warehouse ready for tour

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|

The Best 3PLs are Invisible to Customers

October 6, 2017

warehouse manager making notes

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|

Peak Season Preparation for 3PLs

August 24, 2017

3PL order fulfillment

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Order Picking & Fulfillment|

Harnessing Automation to Improve 3PL Performance

April 27, 2017

Warehouse conveyor in 3PL

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Automation, Labor & Efficiency|

For 3PLs, Flexibility is a Critical Business Goal

January 18, 2017

Automated distribution warehouse

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Warehousing & Distribution|

Workbenches & Workstations – How to Optimize Work Flow

February 16, 2016

Dehnco Industrial Workstation

As your business grows, the flow of materials tends to bog down as demand increases, forced through the same channels and processes. Throughput grinding slowly down is a story as old as warehousing itself.

Frequently the operations that lag behind the rest of the process are in the picking, packing and shipping areas of your facility. What’s difficult is that these inefficiencies evolve over time, where they can almost be hidden from an analytical view. It seems that no matter how many people you throw at the problem, they never catch up, and error rates escalate. Often the solution is in simple steps toward organizing your packing areas and putting supplies conveniently at hand.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Storage, Organization & Workstations|

Read our customer reviews