Each time we ask MM&D readers “What keeps you up at night?” we hear the same response. Controlling costs in warehouse and DC operations is consistently the primary concern of the managers responsible. With that in mind, we decided to offer our readers some practical ideas for keeping costs down. While we don’t want to put you to sleep with the article, hopefully some of the ideas in it will help you to rest easy, with less worry about your operational costs.
Helping us out at a roundtable conversation on the topic were: Vera Friedrich, CEO and vice-president, sales of Dematic in Canada; Jason Cunneyworth, vice-president, Direct Distribution Centres; Greg James, partner, 3D Storage; Colin Alves, senior vice president, Colliers International; Scott Deutsch, director, global marketing, Honeywell; and, Andrew Bulmer, managing director for Active International in Canada.
This diverse group brings a wide variety of perspectives to the table. In a far-ranging conversation the panelists discussed everything from inventory optimization and ways to gain value from writing down unused product, to how to maximize space, and find the hidden value in your real estate contracts.
