All Warehouse Services

The New Shopping Hubs for Cities: Warehouse Distribution Centers

April 21, 2017

Past scrapyards, railroad tracks, stacks of old wooden pallets and rusty shipping containers here sits a nondescript warehouse, alongside a snarl of freeway overpasses, with two dozen trucks parked at its docks.

Online Retailers' New Warehouses Heat Up Local Job Markets

April 17, 2017

The Wall Street Journal

Retailers and logistics companies have been opening warehouses at a record pace to ensure online orders reach customers as quickly as possible. Now they're struggling to find workers to staff them.

Amazon's Robot War Keeps Spreading

April 11, 2017

Industryweek

It was Amazon that drove America's warehouse operators into the robot business.

Fuel-Cell Powered Drones Aim to Improve Supply Chain Efficiency

April 10, 2017

Environmental Leader

In a move that Intelligent Energy says will make supply chains more efficient, the clean energy company has signed a deal with PINC to supply air cooled fuel cell systems for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Four Steps to Align Qualitative and Quantitative Metrics in the Warehouse

April 5, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: After 13 years of conducting the Warehousing Education and Research Council’s (WERC) annual DC Measures Study of key warehousing and distribution performance metrics, a pronounced gap remains between "Best-in-Class" and "Major Opportunity" facilities within several key performance indicators. To close that gap by 2020, Major Opportunity warehouses must understand both qualitative and quantitative metrics as they relate to performance improvement. In other words, move beyond the numbers and focus on their processes. –Karl Manrodt, Georgia College & State University; Joseph Tillman, APQC; Steve Murray, Warehousing Education and Research Council; and Michael Mikitka, WERC

Eliminate Waste and Cut Costs with a LEAN Supply Chain

March 30, 2017

Ryder

How E-Commerce Is Changing Facility Planning and Design

March 29, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: The impact of omnichannel fulfillment requirements and growth of e-commerce have altered the way companies plan and design distribution facilities. The plan and design processes themselves haven't changed as much as the number of variables that must be considered. Today's distribution facilities require greater flexibility to adapt rapidly to changing customer requirements. - Phil Quartel, senior director of operations design, Fortna Inc.

Warehouse Logistics: The Gap Between Strategy and Performance

March 28, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: For the past 13 years we've studied metrics used in DCs across the U.S. During that time we've shared benchmarking data, reporting how some of the best firms use metrics to improve performance. Yet, gaps still exist - and bridging them can lead to greater performance gains. For the past two years, we have been examining how companies are using metrics to align to the strategic objective. The results have been surprising! - Donnie Williams, assistant professor of logistics and supply chain management, Georgia State, and Karl Manrodt, professor of logistics and supply chain management, Georgia State

The Sharing Economy Is Disrupting Traditional Warehousing

March 27, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Analyst Insight: The sharing economy has been disrupting and transforming industries, with companies like Uber disrupting the taxi industry and Airbnb disrupting the hospitality industry. Now, even the very mature space of warehousing is in the process of disruption as warehouse-sharing platforms emerge that are providing benefits to both shippers and facility owners. - John Santagate, research manager, IDC

How Shippers Can Protect Themselves Against Another Carrier Bankruptcy

March 20, 2017

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Should shippers and ocean carriers have seen the bankruptcy of Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd. coming?

All Warehouse Services

The latest news, analysis, services and solutions regarding warehousing and distribution systems and their impact on global supply chains. Today’s companies are moving goods across more suppliers, vendors and customers than ever before, and warehouses are critical points in the overall supply chain. New technologies in warehouse management systems (WMS), automation, robotics, RFID and order fulfillment are transforming the way companies do business — and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these solutions continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are improving supply-chain operations through their strategic use of warehousing and distribution services.