60 seconds with ... Jim Hawkins

Jim Hawkins on successfully changing course well into a new DC design.

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 8/1/2005

Early this year,we started planning for our new DC. Everything was based on shipping full pallet loads directly to stores. But we started to rethink that approach about the same time as we got into the final design stages. Which wasn't great timing.

Instead of shipping directly to stores, we're now going to ship to nine pool points around the country that will then deliver to the stores. While this means we will ship more full truckloads from the DC, it also means instead of full pallet loads we're now going to ship cases that will be floor loaded on trailers. That requires extensive system redesigning.

Getting everybody on board from top management to the people in IT isn't easy. Above all else, it requires communication. Not just of the new objectives and physical handling requirements, but the benefits to us as a company. People need to understand why this late change is worth the effort before they will buy in.

The other essential ingredient is confidence. People in the company must have confidence in those of us in the DC that this is the right decision and will work. Fortunately, we have that because of our track record over the past three years in this DC. As a result, the chief logistics officer is supportive of us, and there's no fear that we're going down the wrong path.