The "lights-out warehouse" is a little like Bigfoot: a mythical idea everyone in the material handling industry has heard about but few have actually seen. It's been a buzzword for years, yet just a handful of companies have made the leap to a fully automated distribution center, despite abundant indications that it would increase efficiency and profit margins.
W&H Systems, an integrator of material-handling systems, has developed a version of its Shiraz warehouse-control system (WCS) that works on a smartwatch.
A strong, enduring team is key to warehousing success. Since its inception, WERC has supported the warehouse associate as a professional and logistics as a viable career choice. We wanted to know: Do companies utilize outreach programs to "sell" the profession? What methods are used to announce job openings? How do companies determine candidates as a good fit? What about "diversity" – language issues, hiring disabled individuals? – Michael Mikitka, CEO, Warehousing Education and Research Council
Distribution center design has always been a key aspect of supply-chain management. Now it's becoming a "science." Russ Meller, vice president of research and development with Fortna, explains what that means.
Data warehousing is ready for the cloud, say Tom French, founder and chief executive officer, and Sam Smith, client technology solutions, with Supply Chain Coach. They show how the technology can aid in the use of analytics for maintaining a multi-client, multi-year data warehouse.
Industrial real estate is poised for a spike in demand, development and delivery according to research by Jones Lang LaSalle. Industrial markets nationwide have been recovering for more than four full years, with 15 consecutive quarters of positive net absorption. Last year marked a five-year high, with 168 million square feet of net absorption, and, with current forecasts, this figure could top 180 million square feet in 2014. So, what's behind this momentum?
