Brian Barry

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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.

10 Steps to an Effective Ecommerce Fulfillment Center Move Plan

| Brian Barry

In developing an ecommerce fulfillment center move plan, it is helpful to understand some common problems other multichannel companies have encountered, including lack of a sufficiently detailed planning and budgeting process and inventory inaccuracy before and after. Following these 10 steps will help make your move a success.

9 Ways to Make Your Ecommerce Fulfillment Process Change a Success

| Brian Barry

There is no end to the process of reducing labor, saving time, making better use of ecommerce fulfillment center space and reducing costs and errors. To be competitive, flexible and survive in these turbulent times, continuous process improvement is critical. Here are 9 steps to consider when implementing this type of program. 

inventory management

Less Overstock Boosts Ecommerce Fulfillment Space and the Bottom Line

| Brian Barry

Inventory management is a strategic ecommerce issue that affects profitability and customer service. Additionally, many fulfillment centers have overstock inventory tying up valuable space. Here is a primer on liquidation strategies and ways to reduce overstock levels, freeing up valuable space and flowing dollars to the bottom line.

7 Ways a 3PL Can Be More Viable Than Internal Ecommerce Fulfillment

| Brian Barry

For many ecommerce businesses, even absent COVID-19, a profitable Christmas season will make or break the year. During the shutdowns, many 3PLs have remained open, serving clients even amid the labor challenges. Should you continue internal fulfillment or move to a 3PL? Here are seven considerations as you weigh the choice.

curbside pickup sign feature

How to Implement Store Picking and Curbside Pickup During COVID-19

| Brian Barry

Ship from store and curbside pickup are not new to multichannel businesses, but many smaller ones are trying to implement this model, often without the infrastructure and systems in place to support it. Here’s what you need to do to set up streamlined, store-level picking and curbside fulfillment during the coronavirus pandemic.

Handling Your Ecommerce Operations During the Coronavirus Pandemic

| Brian Barry

Many ecommerce companies are trying to stay open while keeping their employees and customers safe through the coronavirus pandemic. Others have temporarily shut down and are thinking about how and when they can reopen. Here are some things to keep in mind based on our consulting work with retail and wholesale companies.

How to Deal with Coronavirus and Your Ecommerce Supply Chain

| Brian Barry

These are truly unprecedented times. Strikes at ports and fuel prices sometimes disrupt supply chains, but the coronavirus pandemic is causing disruption to offshore manufacturing and shipping patterns that hasn’t been seen since World War II. Here are some observations on the impact based on feedback from multichannel sellers.

A 12-Step Process for an Ecommerce Fulfillment Center Assessment

| Brian Barry

Considering all the challenges facing today’s ecommerce fulfillment center operations, how should you go about conducting an assessment, and what are the objectives? Here are 12 key aspects of a complete ecommerce fulfillment center assessment that will help make your operations more productive and efficient.

9 Tips to Manage Ecommerce Fulfillment Labor More Effectively

| Brian Barry

Overall productivity in ecommerce fulfillment centers has remained flat over the years for many companies, and hourly wages continue to rise. After factoring in that cost, productivity in terms of labor dollars has declined. To help you become more efficient, here are 10 ways to improve your productivity levels.

Calculating Your True Ecommerce Fulfillment Cost Per Order

| Brian Barry

Ecommerce fulfillment cost per order (CPO) is the sum of all the warehousing expenses involved in receiving, put away and storage of product, picking, packing and shipping and reverse logistics or returns processing from customers. But do you know your fully loaded CPO? This calculation process will help you generate a true number.