Warehouse Profiling
Profiling is a technique to study the behavior of ITEMS, ORDERS, CUSTOMERS and apply the analysis to the layout design, selection of storage types, slotting criteria.
Unfortunately, in almost 95% of DCs, we do just the opposite in practice. Someone gives you a particular building with unique characteristics and tells you “to do the best you can.”Given the realities in our business, we will show you how “Profiling” can help you design the ‘best’ operation, both in the short-term and in the long-term.
The table below is quite USA-centric, but some of these trends are happening world wide.
Trends impacting on your warehouse layout
| Number | Short description of the trend | Impact on the facility |
| 1 | Wal-Mart shoppers going to Dollar stores
|
Review the selection of products that represent the size and price range of the products. |
| 2 | Baby boomers with money retiring
|
What portion of your order volume represents shipments to this group |
| 3 | GenX have different shopping habits
|
Frequent and fewer items per order, will require less-than-full case picking |
| 4 | Lower income group is increasing
|
Are your sales outlets located in markets with significant poverty levels |
You can learn how to tackle the ever-changing market place and maintain your DC facility productivity by visiting the following Video link. We request you to “Turn the Sound ON” in your PC and enlarge the video screen when it starts.
In case you are located inside a corporate firewall, may we request you to watch the video link on your Home PC or other means.
To help our warehousing and distribution community, we have also started a BLOG. So far, we have published 6 articles in a series of 15. You can visit the Blog site at:
http://karma-logistics.blogspot.com/
Appreciate your time and interest,
Ram Krishnan
Karma Logistics (USA)
