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Consulting Services for Warehousing
& Distribution
- Case Studies - More Case Studies...
Petroleum Manufacturer: For a large petroleum manufacturer, Distribution Design completed a comparison of various options for increasing the capacity utilization of a regional distribution center. The options included floor storage, selective rack, drive-in rack, and combinations of each. Distribution Design analyzed the options and compared the effective utilization and cost justifications of each option. The client described Distribution Design's deliverable as an "Outstanding Report".
Department Store Chain: Distribution Design completed Operational Audits of 2 distribution facilities totaling 700,000 square feet. One facility is used for storage of forward buy merchandise, and the second is used for processing store shipments. Distribution Design identified many opportunities for improving space utilization, productivity, and systems.
Major Mass Merchandiser Cross Dock Facility: For a 3rd Party Logistics Provider, Distribution Design completed an Operational Audit of a cross dock center that processes store supplies, promotional programs, and displays for over 900 stores in the chain. The report described the current limiting factors that were causing very tight space constraints and reduced productivity and throughput. Recommendations provided by Distribution Design will reduce the time needed to complete the cross dock activities, and the cross docking can be accomplished with fewer people.
Warehouse Education & Research Council (WERC): Distribution Design's Fred Kimball was a speaker at the 2000 WERC Annual Conference in San Antonio. In a segment titled, "Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks", Fred led conference attendees in Change Management techniques to encourage warehouse workers to accept the many changes needed in improving operations and/or implementing a new warehouse management system. In feedback forms from attendees, 89% rated Fred Kimball's performance as "Very Good" or "Excellent". "Leading Change", a one-day seminar for logistics managers, is available from Distribution Design.
HVAC Manufacturer: For one of the leading manufacturers of air conditioning systems and service parts, Distribution Design evaluated two distribution centers. While the two facilities perform similar functions, one has substantially greater productivity than the other. Management commissioned Distribution Design to complete a detailed analysis of the two operations to understand the differences. One of the major contributors to the differences was how SKUs are located in the facility for storage and picking.
Electronics: In a facility the company had outgrown, Distribution Design identified several practices to improve throughput and reduce operational complexity. In other projects for the same client, Distribution Design assisted the company in 1. determining the long term strategy for distribution; 2. screening potential new hires from Director-level to front line supervisors in order to implement an entirely new management structure; and 3. a thorough evaluation of an available manufacturing building as a potential new distribution center.
Large Apparel Company: A Second Opinion operational and facility design that improved the original design concept. The Second Opinion reduced the building footprint by 25%, increased the throughput per hour by 62%, required $5 million less capital, and reduced labor costs by nearly $4 million per year.
Photographic Products Manufacturer: Distribution Design provided technical guidance to the design and implementation of 1 overflow and 2 regional distribution centers needed to support the logistics operations of a large photographic products company. The technical assistance focused on the areas of facility sizing, inventory management, order picking, and the development of operational costs.
Telecommunications: Distribution Design provided assistance to a 3rd Party Logistics Provider in evaluating the Request For Proposal from one of the country's leading telecommunications companies. Work performed by Distribution Design included analysis and design services for warehousing operations, Vendor Managed Inventory, and systems.
Manufacturer of power tools and small appliances: A facility consolidation design reducing operations headcount by 40%.
Large Sporting Goods Company: Assistance to recover from a failed automation project. Second assignment to increase capacity and throughput without adding to the 550,000 square foot facility.
Domestic Apparel Manufacturer: Second Opinion to sortation design from a material handling equipment vendor. The second opinion provided increased throughput over the vendor's design with a 25% lower cost of capital.
Greeting Cards: A complete retrofit design for a 1.4 million square foot distribution center using high speed unit sortation. The design concept and its 52% reduction in labor costs were verified by a Big-5 consulting company.
Medical Products: A Second Opinion to one of the country's leading consulting firms for a facility consolidation project. The second opinion showed how the proposed facility could achieve increased throughput with a 32% reduction in space and lower labor costs.
Large Pharmaceutical Manufacturer: Analysis for the consolidation of two distribution centers after an acquisition of another pharmaceutical company.
Pharmaceutical: complete operational, systems, material handling, and facility design for consolidating multiple facilities. Assisted in detailed design of WMS system.
Pharmaceutical (several): Complete automation and systems design, implementation and operating costs, and staffing requirements for new or retrofitted facilities.
Consumer Electronics: An evaluation of the company's inventory and stocking practices identified an opportunity to reduce inventories and save over $1 million in inventory carrying costs. In a separate assignment, Distribution Design prepared and conducted a one day training seminar for the client's logistics managers with many "how to" segments. Topics included: velocity profiling, inventory management, reducing employee turnover, benchmarking, and other subjects highly customized to the client's logistics operations.
Ophthalmic: Operational Audit of a distribution operation identified numerous opportunities for increasing capacity, throughput, accuracy, productivity, and systems functionality.
3rd Party Logistics: Dozens of operational, material handling, facility, and systems designs all of which reduced ongoing operational costs for the 3PL's clients.
Auto Parts: Improved material flow for component items being manufactured for Mercedes and BMW automobiles. Enabled logistics operations to meet 3 hour delivery window for Just In Time manufacturing.
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