Articles & Whitepapers

Many of the warehouse assessments that F. Curtis Barry & Company performs are initiated because a client perceives that its warehouse is out of space for receiving and storing product or creating more pick locations, thus limiting the growth of the business. Our approach to interacting with the client is to provide an experienced, fresh set of eyes to view the current layout and to envision potential revisions with the intent of gaining two to five more years in the existing facility.

Here are the top 15 elements we review when assessing a current warehouse layout.

1.  Thoroughly understand the flow and utilization of the current layout, including rack configuration, slotting/pick philosophy, receiving, putaway, replenishment, inventory management, and packing and shipping. Include peak seasonal trends and a thorough volume analysis of inbound and outbound product flow.

Most fulfillment processes are largely manual in nature; only the very largest companies can justify advanced automation. Take a look at your total cost of back end order fulfillment. We did by studying results from each warehouse assessment we have conducted as well our proprietary F. Curtis Barry & Company Benchmarking ShareGroup data. You’ll find that out of costs that include direct and indirect labor, occupancy, and shipping supplies; total labor generally makes up 60%-65%. (We have excluded shipping costs because it distorts comparisons.) 

Introduction: Why to Conduct an Operations Assessment
Is your fulfillment operation as productive and effective as you want it to be? Is it meeting your expectations and those of your customers? Can you prove it? If you’re not regularly assessing your fulfillment operations, how can you know for sure? In today’s challenging and competitive world, not knowing where you stand on these important questions can be fatal to your future success.