A new look at the plant and warehouse
By Raymond A. Kulwiec -- Modern Materials Handling, 5/15/1998
In this issue we're taking a new look at how plant and warehouse operations are being planned today, and will be planned in the future, for maximum efficiency and productivity. This second issue in May, known for years as the Plant & Warehouse Planning Issue, is the perfect place to take such a look.Our typical approach in this planning issue has been to examine the methods and technologies needed to ensure smooth and efficient flow of materials-and related real-time information-throughout the plant or warehouse. Typically we have done so with a virtual "tour" through each area or department, starting with receiving, and moving through storage, assembly and manufacturing (for a plant), orderpicking (for a warehouse), packaging, and shipping.
With the year 2000 just 19 months away, however, it seems appropriate to take a new look at how such planning is done, and to examine the new concepts and paradigms that should be incorporated into our plans as we move ahead in this new environment.
One obvious example is crossdocking, which though technically is no longer new, is steadily growing in use. There are variations in how it is conducted, but basically crossdocking represents a direct transfer of incoming materials from the receiving area to shipping, leapfrogging the intermediate steps and departments mentioned above. Obviously our traditional "department-to-department" treatment does not adequately cover this innovative approach.
Crossdocking is just one of six concepts we are covering in the pages ahead to help you, as our cover suggests, "supercharge" your operations into the new millenium.
I hope you find the following articles useful for your operations planning as we move into this new era.
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