The Zen of Warehouse Management
 By Pat Kelley and Ron Hounsell, CIRM
Published by the Distribution Group
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“Zen…enlightenment by breaking down the boundaries of mundane, logical thought.”
In The Zen of Warehouse Management, the authors apply their 60 years of distribution experience to solving some of the most persistent problems in the warehouse.
What they have developed is a set of 20 Zen management principles, which will enable you to view your operations in a new light and to take a fresh look at these age-old problems. But this is not just theory. Each new approach is illustrated in the context of the warehouse where it was successfully implemented along with real data and often-surprising results.
One part management guide, one part facility manual and one part inspiration, The Zen of Warehouse Management will change the way you view the problems and opportunities in your distribution centers.
The first section describes what the authors call a “meltdown DC,” where in less than nine months, inventory was doubled, the SKU count increased by 70%, and hourly wage rates were reduced by 22%. In the next six chapters, the authors describe the no-nonsense approach that turned this DC around and made it one of the most productive in its network. This section includes chapters on creating space in the warehouse, maximizing handling productivity, and increasing labor productivity.
Next, the authors turn their attention to the age-old problem of congestion and provide strategies for keeping the inbound current; synchronizing orderfilling; determining the best number of routes in an orderfilling wave; making timely replenishments; improving inventory accuracy, speed of loading and quality of consolidation; using teams to create fluidload; and more.
In the final section, the authors describe their success with brainstorming and illustrate how to use this approach to generate the ideas that will create operational efficiencies and cost savings in your facilities. Again, more than just theory, the authors provide complete details for creating an ongoing brainstorming program including how to run the sessions, how to get people’s creative juices flowing, what topics to address, how to track the results, and more. It’s an approach that has brought the authors over one million dollars in savings in one distribution network.
If you’re ready to jump-start your operations with creative new approaches to age-old problems, you’re ready for The Zen of Warehouse Management.
Click Here to Buy the Book
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