Saving Time and Money In Warehouse Operations June 26, 2012 Karen L. DeWolfe interlinkONE, Inc
Saving Time and Money in Warehouse Operations (MFSA Annual Conference)
May 14, 2015
interlinkONE's VP of Sales Karen DeWolfe delivered this presentation at the 2012 MFSA Annual Conference in Asheville, North Carolina.
During the presentation, entitled "Saving Time and Money in Warehouse Operations", Karen shared a number of strategies, technologies, tools, and tips to help companies streamline their inventory management and order fulfillment processes.
Karen covers items such as:
- Online Ordering and Web-to-Print portals
- Wireless Barcode Scanners
- Order Picking Options
- Inventory Replenishment Techniques
- And more!
During the presentation, entitled "Saving Time and Money in Warehouse Operations", Karen shared a number of strategies, technologies, tools, and tips to help companies streamline their inventory management and order fulfillment processes.
Karen covers items such as:
- Online Ordering and Web-to-Print portals
- Wireless Barcode Scanners
- Order Picking Options
- Inventory Replenishment Techniques
- And more!
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Transcript
Saving Time and MoneyIn Warehouse Operations
June 26, 2012
Karen L. DeWolfe
interlinkONE, Inc
Today’s Overview
• Challenges in the Supply Chain
• Finding Success with:– Online Ordering Portals– Inventory Management– Automation & Customer
Service
• Questions and Answers
CHALLENGES IN THESUPPLY CHAIN
Supply Chain Data• Report
published by the CMO Council
• “A Straight Line to the Front Line”
Why Show You These Charts?• Because if you can
provide solutions to these problems in YOUR warehouse operations and services, you can earn more business!
Inventory and Warehouse Space Waste
Marketing Content: It’s Value to Sales
Improving the Process
How ImportantIs the Supply Chain?
Success Starts with the WMS!Areas Where Improvement Can Often Be Found:
– Online Ordering Portals
– Inventory Management
– Automation & Customer Service
Best Practices for:Online Ordering Portals
Why an Online Ordering Portal?• People are comfortable
ordering online.
• It can reduce data-transfer time.
• Integrating it with your Warehouse Management System is key! Streamline Order process.
People Like the Amazon.com Model: Make it Easy!
Be Ready for Mobile!
Utilize Print-On-Demand
Benefits of Print On Demand
• Reduce Costs: Storage, Handling, and Inventory Accounting
• Supports Growing Demand for Shorter Runs
• There is little or no waste from unsold products.
POD & Variable Data:Name Interest Status $$ Spent Yearly
John Smith Food Silver 5K
Michelle Jones Card Games Gold 20K
Frank Stafford Shows Platinum 50K
Before the Launch• Test online ordering portal
in multiple browsers– Help poll sales reps to find out
what they use
• Keep the mobile audience in mind– Mobile-optimized portal might
not be needed just yet, but watch the growth in numbers!
After the Launch• Provide access to Training
videos inside of the ordering portal
• Make it easy for people to ask for help
• Train CSRs how to debug common issues:– Can’t login– Don’t know my password– How do I find a specific
item?
Best Practices for:Inventory Management &
Order Fulfillment
Handling Reorder Points• Static Reorder Point at
Product Level
OR…
• Automatic Replenishment Calculations
Automated Reorder Point• Fluctuating Reorder
Point based on usage over time, amount needed to satisfy orders in months to come.
• Helps to forecast increased demand at different points in the year as well.
Benefits of Automated Reorder
• It puts your data to use!
• Monitors spikes or dips in activity, order history, inventory amounts, etc.
• Keeps in mind unusual seasons and events: Trade Shows, Yearly Meetings, etc.
Constantly AnalyzePicking Process!
• Is the most popular inventory easily accessible?
• Are the Pick Tickets properly sending your staff in the right path?
• Invest in training and quality circles
• Reward useful feedback from the “pickers”!
Picking Process: Print & Mobile
• Picker scans pick ticket, tells them which location to go to
• Heads to location• Scans product to verify
they’re picking the right product
• Scans location barcode to confirm they picked from right location
Automated Case Picking?
Popular in food and beverage industries… but as success stories are reported, could expand to fulfillment for other types of products.
Voice/Wearable Devices
Scanners in Receiving
Manual process requires:•Data Entry•Clerical Work
Moving to an automated process including barcode scanners can save hours of time!
Wireless-Enabled Scanners• Inventory
Receiving
• Checking & Adjusting Inventory Levels
• And more!
Deciding Which Device to Get
Pickers preferred MC3190… because they are little quicker, lighter
Receiving folks preferred MC9190.. Larger, more rugged, bigger display, bigger keypad
Inventory Management: Cycle Count vs. Full Physical Check
Video Case Study
Smartphone Access to Reports
• With a mobile-optimized solution, key warehouse personnel could easily check on inventory levels, order status, backorders, and more from their smartphones.
Best Practices for:Automation & Customer Service
Built-In Help Request Forms
Live Chat Option
Track “Open Carts”• Eliminate the calls and
complaints related to users that were unable to complete their orders the first time through
• Make it possible for them to track what they’ve ordered
• Also, be able to see why items with stock “on hand” are unavailable
Review All Touch-Points
• Pick Tickets
• Packing Slips
• Order Confirmation Emails
• Shipping Notification Emails
Do those items increase your manual work-load or do they help to streamline it?
Saving Time and Money is easy.Where you will see immediate
results
Saving Time and Money
• Ordering Portals that will allow you to:– Get orders in faster and more conveniently– An opportunity to cross sell– Open New Revenue Stream– Save sales time in order and quote taking
• Print On Demand will allow you to:– Use less physical space and resources– Less waste– Faster to market content
Saving Time and Money
• Reorder Automation that will allow you to:– Move beyond ordering a set amount and into
predictable usage– System driven to save CSRs and Product Manger time– Less wasted material in overage
• Electronic Fulfillment will allow you to:– Use less physical space and resources– Less waste– Faster to market content– Less time and material cost
Saving Time and Money
• Efficient Automation and Customer Service will allow you to:– Have users self service– Have answers to questions quickly– Spend less time on support– Save money in resource allocation
Final Thoughts
• Saving Time in Warehouse Operations often involves streamlining processes from end-to-end --- from order entry to the shipment of the order.
• Be committed to measuring and analyzing all areas of your operation consistently!
See you at the MFSA Annual Conference!
CHANGING PERSPECTIVES to Create a Brighter Future
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