Companies are increasingly turning to skill and behavioral assessment tests to ensure successful hires, according to Dr. Katherine Jones, an analyst with

More and more customers are buying products over the Web and picking them up at a store, but the process isn

Businesses will take months to recover from the enormous damage caused
by Hurricane Katrina, but here are some things you can do immediately to
stabilize your operations, says logistics expert Debra Ellis of Wilson &
Ellis Consulting:

1. Hold shipments to the areas that were hit until you verify that
customers can actually receive them. Check with your parcel delivery
service to determine which areas are unavailable for delivery. While the
carrier will hold the items in transit, this increases the possibility
of lost shipments.

Of course you want to turn your operation into a top performer

Facility automation may be all the rage, but there are several fulfillment jobs that require kitting, packing, or assembly by hand. Unfortunately, few DC managers plan adequately for handwork projects. Tom Quinn, director of fulfillment services for the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association, offers some recommendations for making handwork successful and profitable:

Provide enough space. To be completed quickly and efficiently, handwork jobs must be given sufficient room in the facility. Often, these projects are squeezed into a space that does not allow for components to be laid out properly, making for inefficient workflow. If extra space is not available, additional time should be factored in to account for the same piece being handled several times.

Now that the economy appears to be recovering

You