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Filling the Void
By: By Sam Flanders
Many different types of fill and void fill equipment have been introduced over the past 20 years. Let's take a look at some of the systems that have been around the longest, and proceeding to the most modern systems commonly available....
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9 Tips for Evaluating Workforce Management Systems
By: By Bob Webb
If your forecasting or scheduling system is not sophisticated enough or if you’re doing too many processes manually, you are leaving money on the table by failing to staff your center properly....
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 Survey Says: DC Slotting Pays
Though efficient slotting practices have been shown to reduce labor hours and operating costs in the distribution center, a recent survey from Raleigh, NC-based Tompkins' Associates' Supply Chain Consortium reveals that less than a quarter of surveyed firms use slotting optimization software....
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Live from NCOF: Tips for Effective Incentive Programs
By: By Mark Del Franco
Schaumburg, IL--The good news about incentive programs is that they work. According to Rick Blabolil, president of consultancy Marketing Innovators and a presenter at NCOF on Tuesday, an effectively structured incentive program can increase performance 44% in teams and 25% with individuals.
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Live from NCOF: Reverse Logistics Is Everyone's Challenge
By: By Sherry Chiger
Schaumburg, IL—More than 75% of all returned products are not defective, according to Gailen Vick, founder/president of the Reverse Logistics Association. Instead, the primary cause of returns is "misinformation at the time of purchase," ...
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Live from NCOF: Brownie Throwing, "Survivor" Style
By: By Mark Del Franco
Schaumburg, IL--The way to an audience's heart is through their stomach. That may be why David Kravetz, cofounder of Phoenix-based marketer Fairytale Brownies, emerged victorious from the popular session "50 Ideas in 50 Minutes: Fulfillment 'Survivor' Style," ...
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Live from NCOF: A "Murderers Row" of Ops Pros
By: By Sherry Chiger
Schaumburg, IL—The Monday afternoon Power Forum at the National Conference on Operations and Fulfillment featured operations executives from Disney Shopping, J. Jill, Lifeway Christian Resource, and Urban Outfitters—a "murderers row" of experts...
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Live from NCOF: Don't Let Those Boomers Retire Just Yet
By: By Sherry Chiger
Schaumburg, IL—Full-time workers ages 55-70 outnumber those ages 18-24 by three to one. As an employer, that means you need to hold on to your baby-boomer employees and reevaluate your attitudes toward younger workers...
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Live from NCOF: Adapting to Success
By: By Sherry Chiger
Schaumburg, IL—"If you're going to remember one thing about being successful today," said Peter Johnson, Ph.D., near the beginning of his keynote speech, "it comes down to this: Adaptability is king."...
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A Few Thoughts on Process Improvement
A benchmark is a standard or point of reference used in measuring factors such as quality, productivity, service, or cost. Benchmarking, therefore, is the process of comparing an existing business process with internal or external benchmarks in order to ...
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Quick Tip: Five Keys to Finding the Right People
Without the right people, your operation is doomed. But how can you ensure that you're getting the right people? According to Framingham, MA-based operations consultant Wayne Teres, you should ...
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Five More Strategies for Operational Excellence
By: By Susan Rider
Order fulfillment is the most costly process in the distribution center. How can you increase throughput or reduce head count? First, map your current processes. Second, identify the methodology of your picking processes ...
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Five Stratragies for Operational Excellence
By: By Susan Rider
Is operational excellence an illusive dream? I think not, but it is a definite commitment of time and talent every day. Below are five steps that will help you achieve this goal....
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Five Common Customer Service Failures
By: By Sam Flanders
Companies with the highest levels of customer satisfaction always carry their goal of customer service perfection into the distribution center. It is too easy to think of the distribution center as an operation completely separated from the customer. And companies that do this do so at their own peril. ...
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Six Tips for Going Green
Taking environmental issues into consideration when making business decisions is gaining popularity not only as a way for companies to be more socially responsible but also as a strategy capable of producing tangible bottom-line business benefits. ...
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Best Practices in Returns Policies
By: By Linda Shea
Based on Opinion Research Corp.’s December 2006 study on retail returns, we’ve come up with a list of returns best practices that can help boost satisfaction among customers as well as your staff. ...
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The Software Corner
By: By Ernie Schell
The director of Ventnor, NJ-based consultancy Marketing Systems Analysis, Ernie Schell takes a quarterly look around the changing software landscape for MULTICHANNEL MERCHANT/OPERATIONS + FULFILLMENT. ...
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A Few Thoughts on Slotting Software
By: By Mark Del Franco
Slotting your inventory is more than just making sure that heavy items are not located on the highest shelf or fast movers in the back of the warehouse. It’s meant to evaluate the size, the storage media, the mix, and the velocity of product being stored in the distribution center in order to maximize productivity, order accuracy, and customer service. ...
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Improving Order Accuracy
By: By Pat Brown
Just as in a diner, order-fill inaccuracies in a distribution center can disappoint or infuriate the customer. What’s more, they can cost the seller dearly in terms of customer loyalty, returns processing costs, and lost revenue....
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