The DCs of Madison County

| MCM staff

The best-selling novel The Bridges of Madison County may have put Madison County, Iowa, on the map, but Madison County, Illinois, is now gaining attention for being a hotbed for distribution centers.

Keeping Tabs on Carriers with Manifesting Software

| Sam Flanders

Manifesting software is becoming more sophisticated with each passing year. The software pinpoints the most cost-effective carrier for each package, based on criteria the cataloger has configured into the software. The criteria typically include the physical dimensions of the box the item will be shipped in, the weight of the package, the destination, and the approved carriers.

Survey Reveals Changing Trends in Distribution Centers

| MCM staff

Early manufacturers and retailers would barely recognize today’s complex, fluid distribution centers. Although the basic functions remain the same–receiving and storing products; picking, packing, and shipping orders–distribution centers have evolved along with customer demands.

Proper Sizing in Practice

| MCM staff

A company recently completed an analysis of its pick location sizes and estimated that it could dramatically cut its labor costs.

Keeping vendors compliant

| Curt Barry

How important is vendor compliance? Imagine the following scenario: An apparel retailer’s shipment of dresses for a catalog drop arrives late; in the

Mackenzie Ltd. sold

| Jim Tierney

Baltimore-based gourmet food cataloger Mackenzie Ltd. was sold in July to another Baltimore company, Astral Foods. The parent company of Chesapeake Bay

IT MAINTENANCE checklist

| Mark Del Franco

By now everyone knows the importance of performing routine checks of the smoke alarms in his home twice a year. So too you should be conducting periodic

IT AND SYSTEM MAINTENANCE IN THE DC

| MCM staff

Why is it important to maintain or even monitor our computer systems that operate inside a distribution center? If it

Power Outages Hurt NYC Merchants

| Tim Parry

A week after parts of New York City lost electricity due to storms, some areas are still in the dark. Fortunately for two multichannel merchants with facilities in those areas, however