Brian Barry
Brian Barry, president of F. Curtis Barry & Co., has 24 years’ experience consulting with clients on multichannel operations and systems projects. He started his career working on IT projects include developing client strategies for selection and implementation of ERP, OMS and WMS. Brian has worked with hundreds of clients on warehousing and supply chain operations. He helps them develop multi-DC strategies, including network planning and site location; apply automation and technology; reconfigure existing centers to increase capacity; process improvement; and customer service excellence. He also works with a network of 3PLs and service providers to help craft client solutions that deliver results within budget constraints.
As you select a new WMS for your ecommerce fulfillment operation, it’s clear not all are created equal in terms of core functionality. WMS add-on modules are typically available to extend the core system with additional functions. You need to not only understand the benefits of the add-on but also how it affects the TCO and ROI.
With labor costs increasing, parcel shipping becoming more expensive and carriers struggling to support peak volumes, companies are implementing new strategies with micro fulfillment centers or MFCs. The concept is not new and they’re not for everyone, but it’s worth assessing how it might fit into your fulfillment network strategy.
Inventory is the largest balance sheet asset in most companies. Optimizing it has a huge impact on profitability and customer service. Here are 6 key metrics every ecommerce company should measure, how to calculate each and how a partnership between fulfillment and merchandising will benefit profitability and efficiency.
In omnichannel and ecommerce companies, inventory management, including tracking and reserving inventory for orders, is crucial for maximizing sales and improving customer satisfaction. Here is a 6-step process for assessing your inventory systems and developing an action plan for improvement.
Absolute productivity has declined in many ecommerce fulfillment centers because productivity has not kept up with the rate of increased costs. Some larger companies are paying $18 to $20 per hour in some markets. With this in mind, here are 6 ways to become more efficient and reduce costs in your ecommerce fulfillment operations.
In 2021, will order demand continue at the same volume? How will it change? And how will it impact my labor demand? For many multichannel companies, this means moving toward fulfillment automation in order to decrease the amount of labor and its increasing costs. Here are 2 scenarios where automation was cost justified.
For some ecommerce and multichannel companies, using third-party fulfillment (3PL) can be a viable alternative and provide high customer service as an option to internal fulfillment. The burning question for management: “How will it compare in terms of costs?” Here’s a step-by-step process for conducting your analysis.
Picking errors have a very high cost to your ecommerce business in both actual costs and in lower customer satisfaction, lifetime value (CLV) and retention. These problems will erode your business’ profitability and damage the customer experience. We’ll help you identify the costs and share 6 ways to minimize picking errors.
Incentive pay is a bonus over and above hourly wage an associate can earn by meeting pre-set requirements or criteria. It can be based on productivity, quality or safety. Here are 7 things to consider beforehand if an incentive pay plan is going to be successful.
A multi-FC strategy isn’t right for every company because of the added expenses, inventory required and managing a second remote center. Coming to the right decision for your company takes detailed assessment. Here are 11 factors to consider in the process.