World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling

Warehousing continues to play a critical role in assuring high levels of customer service and overall logistics performance. Efficient warehousing can minimize the effects of supply chain inefficiencies; can improve logistics accuracy and inventory management; and can allow for product accumulation, consolidation, and customization. The cost of warehousing should be commensurate with the contribution of warehousing to overall logistics performance—typically between 2% and 5% of corporate revenue. In world-class warehousing these costs are minimized while also improving customer service. The principles and systems described in this book are common denominators of world-class warehousing. The principles have been developed over a decade of logistics research, education and consulting project experience. World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling can be used to develop a warehouse master plan to support the corporation's overall logistics strategy. In the second book in the Logistics Management Library, World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling will address: customization and countrification; information technology in warehousing; warehouse performance analysis; the role of the warehouse in the supply chain; warehouse expansion and contraction planning. World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling will integrate both global and e-commerce issues and examples throughout the text. The author's consulting and teaching experience places him in the position to draw on his wide experience to present numerous case studies and best practices throughout the book. In the end, this book will help the reader to develop a comprehensive warehouse strategy to reduce costs andincrease quality.

Timeless Insights for Planning and Managing 21^st-Century Warehouse Operations

Despite today's just-in-time production mentality, with its efforts to eliminate warehouses and their inventory carrying costs, effective warehousing continues to play a critical bottom-line role for companies worldwide. World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling covers today's state-of-the-art tools, metrics, and methodologies for dramatically increasing the effectiveness, accuracy, and overall productivity of warehousing operations.

Written by one of today's recognized logistics thought leaders, this comprehensive resource provides authoritative answers on such topics as:

• The seven principles of world-class warehousing
• Warehouse activity profiling
• Warehouse performance measures
• Warehouse automation and computerization
• Receiving and put away
• Storage and retrieval operations
• Picking and packing
• Humanizing warehouse operations

World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling describes the processes and systems required for meeting the changing demands of warehousing. Filled with practices from proven to innovative, it will help all logistics professionals improve the productivity, quality, and cycle time of their existing warehouse operations.

Not too long ago, effective warehousing was a relatively straightforward progression of receiving, storing, and shipping. But in today's age of e-commerce, supply chain integration, globalization, and just-in-time methodology, warehousing has become more complex than at any time in the past—not to mention more costly.

World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling breaks through the confusing array of warehouse technology, buzzwords, and third-party providers to describe the principles of warehousing required for the implementation of world-class warehousing operations. Holding up efficiency and accuracy as the keys to success in warehousing, it is the first widely published methodology for warehouse problem solving across all areas of the supply chain, providing an organized set of principles that can be used to streamline all types of warehousing operations.

Case studies from Avon, Ford, Xerox, True Value Hardware, and others detail how today's most innovative logistics and supply chain managers are arriving at proven solutions to a wide variety of warehousing challenges. Topics discussed include:

• Warehouse activity profiling—for identifying causes of information and material flow problems and pinpointing opportunities for improvement
• Warehouse performance measures—for monitoring, reporting, and benchmarking warehouse performance
• Storage and retrieval system selection—for improving storage density, handling productivity, and trade-offs in required capital investment
• Order picking strategies—for improving the productivity and accuracy of order fulfillment
• Computerizing warehousing operations—for profiling activity, monitoring performance, and simplifying operations

World-Class Warehousing and Material Handling integrates global and e-commerce issues as it addresses customization, information technology, performance analysis, expansion and contraction planning, and the overall role of the warehouse in logistics management and the supply chain. Filled with proven operational solutions, it will guide managers as they develop a warehouse master plan, one designed to minimize the effects of supply chain inefficiencies as it improves logistics accuracy and inventory management—and reduces overall warehousing expense.

Contents

• Ch. 1 Introduction: Why Have a Warehouse? 1

Sect. I Investigating Warehouse Operations 13

• Ch. 2 Warehouse Activity Profiling: Mining for Gold 15
• Ch. 3 Measuring and Benchmarking Warehouse Performance 45

Sect. II Innovating Warehouse Operations 71

• Ch. 4 Receiving and Putaway Principles 73
• Ch. 5 Pallet Storage and Retrieval Systems 85
• Ch. 6 Case Picking Systems 111
• Ch. 7 Small Item Picking Systems 127
• Ch. 8 Order Picking Operations 147
• Ch. 9 Unitizing and Shipping 183
• Ch. 10 Warehouse Layout 189
• Ch. 11 Computerizing Warehouse Operations 203
• Ch. 12 Warehouse Workforce Design and Development 231
• Index 235