The foundation of any business regardless of what it does is its workforce. Hiring and retaining the right people to work for you is an essential step toward business success. So, what can warehouse managers do to recruit the best people to work and what do they need to do to get them to stay? … Read more
An unidentified warehouse in Texas was experiencing problems managing its automated roll-up doors in heavy traffic. The company turned to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to solve its problem. The business stores a lot of temperature-sensitive products in a large number of freezers and coolers at its warehouse. The products are loaded onto vehicles directly from … Read more
No one in the environmental movement really thinks much about pallets. The pallet is literally the platform of the material handling industry. It doesn’t matter how nice your warehouse is, how good your equipment is or even if you have best material handling personnel in the world. If the stuff you’re moving is on bad … Read more
What is so interesting about the warehouse industry is that there are so many methods of operation designed specifically to enhance efficiency and productivity based on the industries the warehouse serves. For example, there is a logistics procedure used by many warehouses called “cross docking.” Simply put, it is a procedure in which suppliers or … Read more
Every warehouse owner or manager has pondered the question of how to improve warehouse logistics. The better the logistics, the better the overall operations. Some in the field focus on five elements when considering the issue. • Warehouse Maintenance • Worker Incentives • Fair Benchmarks for employees to strive for • Training • Investment Fine … Read more
“That was easy!” Now office supply retailing giant Staples is applying its signature catch phrase to its distribution centers throughout the US with an innovative new automated pick-and-pack system. Traditionally, DCs and warehouses have used a “person to goods” system that uses human workers to pick and pack orders so they can be delivered to … Read more
Maximizing efficiency and safety of warehouses, docks, and other work areas require designating specific areas for certain uses. For example, lanes that are used by fast-moving forklifts and other industrial equipment should be separated from pedestrian walkways. Warehouse aisles should be similarly marked to prevent collisions, alert workers to overhead dangers, and maximized workplace order. … Read more
Up until now, most pallets were little more than a few scraps of wood nailed together to provide a durable platform to accommodate materials handling. But some pallets used in warehouses and docks today are much, much smarter than that. Many are embedded with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags that allow global positioning systems to … Read more
The rise in online shopping has put dock and warehouse managers under the gun to improve operations. Mega-retailers like Wal-Mart and Amazon and package delivery services like UPS and FedEx can afford to spend billions on research and development of faster, more efficient ways to get products to consumers faster and more accurately. The result … Read more
For years now, high-tech companies like Google, Vuzix, Ubimax, and others have promised that wearable technology will make our lives better and easier. But how will it actually work? Look no further than a pilot program from global package delivery service DHL to understand the answer. DHL Supply Chain, a subsidiary of the German company … Read more
