Reducing costs is the most pervasive trend in warehousing today, according to Terry Harris, managing partner, Chicago Consulting. As a result, companies evaluate their supply chains "almost on a continuous basis," he says. That's the motivation behind Chicago Consulting's recently released study—"The 10 best warehouse networks for 2003." Current population statistics are used to determine which locations allow for the lowest "time-to-market" depending on the number of warehouses within a given network. "Best" locations are those closest to a large percentage of the U.S. population that offer the shortest transit time.

If a company's one warehouse is in Bloomington, IN, travel distances to customers can range from 10, 100, or 1,000 miles. The average of these distances indicate how this location measures up. Blooming-ton is ranked the "best" location if a company has one warehouse.

"Most companies are attempting to shrink their networks," notes Harris, but a few continue to expand. Eastern Penn. and Las Vegas are the current hot spots for new warehouses.

Inquire about a free evaluation of your network at www.chicago-consulting.com.