Warehouses and distribution centers fulfil a critical role in the SC
Link between Production,
Transportation, Final end
customer
Raw materials stored in
warehouses before
processing and finished
goods
General needed for raw
materials & finished
goods
Key functions
performed by
Warehousing
Provide a level of
customer service
at the total lowest
cost
Link the
producer and
the supplier
as the
intermediary
Major function
Movement
fuction
Receiving
Transfer
Order selection
Shipping
Storage
function
Semi-permanent
Temporary
Information
transfer
Occurs
simultaneously
with movement
and storage
function
Definition
Any system of storing products at any
point in the logistics system from the
point of origin of goods, through
production to the point of consumption.
Warehouse and
distibution center (DC)
are used
interchangeably
although a DC holds
inventory at the
downstream end of
the supply chain.
Warehouses refer to
places where raw
materials,
work-in-process goods
and finished goods are
stored.
Reasons
to hold
stock or
inventory
To achieve production
economies of scale
To obtain
purchasing
discounts for
large scales
To maintain the supply
source
To support firms'
customer service
policies
To meet
changing market
conditions
To overcome time
and space
differentials
To accomplish least
total cost logistics
To serve customer
needs more effectively
To support
just-in-time (JIT)
programs
Warehouse location
decisions
Annotations:
Deciding how many warehouses to build and where to locate them, depends on the following main factors:
The firm policy and
thinking
Annotations:
Do they prefer centralized distribution or many decentralized distribution
The cost-time calculation
and the trade-offs
Annotations:
increase in price of petrol and diesel has become a major factor
The actual
customer base
The geographic
nature of the area
Warehouse physical
layout
The physical layout of a
warehouse impacts
productivity of staff
members who pick, pack
and move goods and has
cost implications when not
managed effectively
Natural lighting, controlled
access points, ergonomic and
user-friendly picking design,
all contribute to cost
effectiveness
Seven essential steps and 10
general guidelines should be
taken into account when
warehouse layout and design
are undertaken
Critical and non critical items
Annotations:
Table 4.1 Page 63
Effective storage and
control
makes careful use of rows,
levels and stacks
Goods that have been stored, must be
found easily if they are picked for
outbound distribution to the customer
or during stock-taking activity
Product groupings
within the
warehouse
Compatibility
Annotations:
In terms of similarity
Complemetary
Annotations:
How often products are ordered together
Popularity
Annotations:
Dependent on turnover rates or demand rates
Categorisation of
inventory within the
warehouse
According to demand
frequency
According to pick
destination
According to special storage
requirements
Hazardous
Perishable
Steps of the
warehousing
process:
1. The inbound logistics
function
2. Inventory
management and
storage
Putting the right stock in
the right place
Giving the right code to the
right product
Developing a coding
system
3. The outbound
logistics function
Cross docking
Logistics process that
minimises the need for
storage
Typical
Warehousing
activities
1. Receiving
2. Put-away
3. Storage
4. Packaging
5. Ship-prep
6. Shipping (transport)
The most common
warehouse problems
Storage space utilisation
Product handling problems
Equipment problems
Labour intensity
Information gaps between
warehousing,
manufacturing or retailing
Costing and budgeting
Materials handling
equipment
Category 1: Forklifts and pallet handling
equipment
Category 2: Turret trucks and reach
trucks
Category 3: Scanning
equipment and new
technologies
Category 4: Portable storage racks
and other devices