Excellence in Warehouse Management How to Minimise Costs and Maximise Value [Paperback]

Warehouses are often seen as a necessary evil: places that stop the flow of goods and thus increase costs without adding value. But the truth is that they have a critical part to play in supply chain management, and warehouse managers should be centrally involved in the strategic aspects of any business. Excellence in Warehouse Management covers everything you need to know to manage warehouse operations as part of a streamlined and holistic system, fine-tuned to serve the customer and drive the bottom-line. With thinking points, self-assessment exercises and case studies Stuart Emmett challenges you to consider your own operations in a new way, and plot a course into the future.

Introduction ix

Abbreviations xi

Acknowledgements xv

1: The Role of Warehousing and Stores 1

Warehousing and the supply chain 1

Training topics 2

Definitions 4

Strategic aspects of warehousing 5

Customers 7

The value chain 9

Warehouse location 12

Modern warehouse operations 14

World-class warehousing 21

Conclusion 24

2: Inventory, Stock Analysis and Classifying Products 25

Product classification 25

Demand analysis 26

ABC analysis 30

Product coding 34

Product handling groups 34

Inventory management: why hold stock? 35

Inventory costs and service 37

Lead time 41

Demand forecasting 46

Inventory and statistics 48

How much stock should be held? 51

Replenishment methods 54

Questions about inventory 65

Appendix 72