Moving to world-class warehousing

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 8/1/2000

As odd as it may sound, the first step toward achieving a world-class warehouse is asking the question, "should this company have a warehouse at all?" That's according to Dr. Edward Frazelle, president and CEO of Logistics Research Resources International.

Frazelle gave his keynote address at a two-day educational forum entitled, "Leading the Dynamic Warehouse," sponsored by the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) and the International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA). The conference focused on practices that lead to efficient, productive, and cost-effective warehousing operations that can cope with increasing demands from supply chain partners.

Frazelle went on to say in his talk entitled, "Principles of World-Class Warehousing ," that there are 20 principles necessary to achieve a world-class warehouse.

Once the need for a warehouse is determined, you have to analyze the right sourcing and warehouse layout for optimal performance. Another necessary step is the move to a paperless warehouse with voice headsets and vehicle-mounted radio frequency terminals linked to a warehouse management system. And the final principle Frazelle stressed is the need for wise warehousers.