Pop Up Distribution Centres – A Logistics Crisis Solution!

The concept of Pop Up retail stores have been around for a long time. Whether testing a new brand or serving a short season like Halloween or Christmas a Pop Up store is a temporary solution to satisfy a short term need.

Right now we are faced with a global logistics crisis. Container ships are back logged at ports and truck drivers and transportation equipment are in short supply. And businesses are scrambling to get their inventories positioned to satisfy demand for Holiday and beyond.

One potential solution to help through the Logistics crisis is to start deploying Pop Up Distribution Centres. This concept can help mitigate the impacts of crisis and help companies salvage their businesses during the Holiday season and beyond.

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Critical Forklift Safety Tips! (Infographic)

A forklift is an essential piece of equipment in any warehouse, distribution center or factory. Without it, it would be nearly impossible to efficiently move heavy objects in these environments. The strength and versatility of lift trucks certainly make life easier for the people who work in most industrial settings as long as there exists forklift safety.

However, the power that forklifts provide must be used with a great deal of responsibility. Operators need to be capable and well-trained in order to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. Most importantly, they also must know how to handle the equipment safely in order to prevent accidents.

More than 20,000 people are injured each year as a result of incidents involving forklifts. This underscores the importance of knowing how to use this essential equipment responsibly.

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7 Strategies to Optimize Your Distribution Center!

Distribution channels are vital for companies because they enable smooth item delivery to their customers. These centers include areas to receive the items, ensure package efficiency, and store, ship, and audit supplies which is why you want to optimize your Distribution Center.

According to PrecisionWarehouseDesign.com, effective warehousing enables products to arrive to the consumers in the best possible state. On the other hand, inefficient distribution centers are prone to inventory inaccuracy and poor warehouse layout.

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What’s the Difference Between a Warehouse and a Distribution Center?

I began my career with responsibility for, amongst other things, Warehouse space planning. With almost a dozen local and remote buildings used to store raw materials and finished goods I spent more than my share of time walking through more than one Warehouse, or Distribution Center, and up and down aisles of racking and shelving.

Later on in my career when I entered the Retail and Logistics sectors the facilities used to store and disperse goods were called Distribution Centers. There were the same configurations of racking and shelving as Warehouses and they were both storing goods and dispersing goods.

To the untrained eye the Warehouses and Distribution Centers looked very similar.

But were they really the same or were they actually quite different?

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The Truth About Working at a Fulfillment Centre!

You may have seen or read coverage depicting a fulfillment centre as a terrible place to work. John Oliver’s most recent Last Week Tonight episode focused on the dangers of fulfillment centre work.

It’s the latest in a string of negative stories that stretches back years. This Mother Jones story about an Amazon fulfillment center workers fainting from heat exhaustion was published in 2011.

As Oliver’s piece pointed out, fulfillment centers often operate on slim margins. That can mean low wages and demanding quotas for warehouse workers, as employers scramble to turn a profit. Amazon has disputed Oliver’s story. The eCommerce giant raised its base hourly rate for fulfillment center employees to $15 per hour in 2018 (though changes in Amazon benefits may negate at least part of that increase). 

We can’t dispute the fact that working conditions in some fulfillment centers are less than optimal, to say the least. However, not all fulfillment companies are alike.

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Warehouse Management Analytics!

The rise of e-commerce was a significant change for supply chain managers and leaders. Customers now have access to anything their hearts desire, and inventory management has become a new animal.

The right application of warehouse management analytics can enable significant growth for companies, forced to focus on smaller package sizes, not the pallets and cases of the past.

Supply chain leaders need to understand the flaws of traditional warehouse management styles, the benefits of warehouse management analytics, and follow a few best practices to use them to their fullest potential.

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