It’s NCOF Time Once Again!
In a tough economy with rising costs of doing business everywhere you turn, smart retailers look to their colleagues and industry experts for that nugget of information – that one idea – to help them optimize their operations. The value of gathering with colleagues to share and compare ideas on how to streamline operations & fulfillment, control back end costs, increase productivity, and deliver a quality customer experience, along with the opportunity to meet with top vendors to discuss specific cost-cutting measures is what makes NCOF the only event of its kind.
Operations & Fulfillment professionals need now, more than ever, information and solutions to manage their operations better, faster, and more cost-effectively while meeting and exceeding rising customer expectations for quality and satisfaction. Facing increasingly more pressure to reduce operating costs, despite rising energy, transportation, labor and just about every other expenditure, these professionals are charged with scrutinizing every aspect of the operations and fulfillment functions to determine better processes that will ultimately lead to saving money.
NCOF, in general, and these special newsletter editions, in particular, focus on several ways that these professionals can control costs through the use of innovative technologies, refined processes, and new distribution techniques. For example, how much can a company save by optimizing cube and pallet sizes and finding lighter weight, yet still durable packaging. By exploring these new packaging opportunities, companies – yes, your company – can save thousands of dollars.
Another way managers can streamline their operations is to take a look at their own warehouses to see if there are ways you can re-design or re-configure the warehouse to maximize efficiency and, ultimately, productivity. Is equipment in the right places, and is inventory properly stored and easy to track, pull and ship. A warehouse re-design can ensure product flow to the dock is as “tight” as possible.
In addition to controlling costs, many companies are looking to expand their sales efforts to international markets. Yet, this could potentially lead to many sleepless nights for operations and fulfillment managers. How do you get product to customers in foreign countries without regional or local distribution centers? Ever thought about distribution center bypass? This proven strategy has already worked for several companies that never thought they could accommodate international customers. Not only is product shipped in a timely manner, but you can track its progress through the supply chain – from your door to theirs.
I encourage you to read the following stories in the newsletter that detail each of these optimization efforts. If you really want to maximize your time at NCOF, visit www.ncof.com and click on the full conference schedule and plan your days accordingly. See you in Orlando!
Robin Altman
NCOF Show Director