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Supply Chain & Logistics: Top 5 Warehouse Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Nov. 1, 2013
When manufacturers don't have full visibility to their inventory, they face the problems of either running out of stock at the wrong time or carrying too much stock and thus decreasing cash flow while increasing expenses to warehouse extra materials.

Tim Garcia, founder and CEO of Apptricity, a developer of enterprise solutions, offers a list of the top five warehousing challenges that can be addressed through automation.

1. Inventory accuracy. When manufacturers don't have full visibility to their inventory, they face the problems of either running out of stock at the wrong time or carrying too much stock and thus decreasing cash flow while increasing expenses to warehouse extra materials. Of the two challenges, Garcia says the greater problem is inventory shortage, which can lead to unfulfilled orders and unhappy customers.

See Also: Lean Supply Chain Logistics Best Practices

2. Inventory location. "Lack of inventory oversight can cause a buildup of inefficiencies within the warehouse that slows operations and increases costs," Garcia says. "Without adequate insight into location, pickers take longer to find the items to ship, which slows the loading process and creates a backup in labor allocation and dock-door scheduling."

3. Space utilization/warehouse layout. It's not about how much space you have; it's about optimizing that space to avoid unnecessary labor. Keep fast-moving and high-selling inventory near the front of the facility so lift truck drivers aren't constantly traveling to the farthest reaches of the warehouse.

4. Redundant processes. Barcode technology, Garcia suggests, can reduce or eliminate the problem of a pick ticket or other documentation having to pass through multiple hands -- e.g., a picker, a checker, a stager, a loader, etc.

5. Picking optimization. "For warehouses that still have manual processes in place, there tends to be no common route taken to pick items for shipment, which adds unnecessary time to the process," Garcia says. With system-directed pick/putaway, the routing can be automated, which will reduce wear and tear on equipment and the workforce.

About the Author

Dave Blanchard | Senior Director of Content

Focus: Supply Chain

Call: (941) 208-4370

Follow on Twitter @SupplyChainDave

During his career Dave Blanchard has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. He also serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2010), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its second edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

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