COURSE DESCRIPTION

The requirement for high levels of customer service, increasing numbers of SKUs and high labor costs have dramatically increased the complexity of warehouse operations. It is no longer sufficient to manage a warehouse based on a simple, arbitrary “ABC” classification of SKUs, which treats all those in a category as if they were identical. Instead, each decision – such as where to store or where to pick product – must be based on careful engineering and economic analysis. Each SKU must identify its own cheapest, fastest path through the warehouse to the customer and then compete with all the other SKUs for the necessary resources. This results in warehouse operations that are finely tuned to patterns of customer orders and maximally efficient. Learn the concepts necessary to address modern warehouse trade-offs between space and time in optimizing and managing your warehouse.

Essential learning for those who are seeking cost reductions through better handling methods. Also valuable for those who must replace, upgrade, or add material handling equipment. The two-day course will include case examples and a guided exercise to ensure mastery of the techniques presented.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Supply chain and logistics consultants, supply chain engineers and analysts, facility engineers, and warehouse supervisors and team leaders

HOW YOU WILL BENEFIT

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Exchange space for time (or vice versa) to better meet business objectives.
• Understand when to use dedicated storage and when to use shared storage.
• Identify the most convenient locations in a warehouse based on an economic model.
• Identify patterns in customer orders and exploit these to speed fulfillment.
• Evaluate warehouse performance.
• Optimally size and stock a forward pick area.
• Understand the best practices in order-picking.

WHAT IS COVERED

• Warehouse performance
• Modern warehouse trade-offs
• Size and stocking optimization
• Order-picking best practices
• Automation

COURSE MATERIALS

• Online access to course material in electronic format 
• Access to an e-copy of the book “Warehouse & Distribution Science” as well as access to an accompanying suite of software to aid in warehouse analytics and optimization.

COURSE PREREQUISITES

None.

CERTIFICATE INFORMATION

This course is part of the Distribution Operations Analysis & Design (DOAD) Certificate.