The true cost of inefficiency in your warehouse (and how to fix it)
Many warehouse leaders underestimate how much inefficiency is costing them. A few minutes lost to extra walking here, a picking error there—it all adds up. Over days, weeks, and months, those small issues become serious drains on productivity and profit. The good news? These problems are almost always fixable.
Future-state warehouse growth assessment
RC Kennedy Consulting has put together a simple questionnaire that will help you explore at least one aspect of supporting where your business is headed in the next 3–5 years: your distribution operations. Take the questionnaire to understand more about what your warehouse will need to support your growth goals.
Why warehouse strategy is the new competitive advantage
Warehousing used to be seen as a necessary cost—a back-end function focused on space, labor, and inventory. Not anymore. In today’s fast-moving, demand-driven world, your warehouse can be a competitive edge—or a costly bottleneck.
Top takeaways from WERC
The RC Kennedy Consulting team attended the WERC Annual conference in New Orleans a few weeks ago. Bob Kennedy shares a few of the interesting things he saw and heard.
Gamification in the warehouse: Why it works and how to make it happen
Gamification has become a bit of a buzzword, but in practice, it’s a simple idea: apply game-like elements—points, badges, leaderboards—to everyday tasks to make them more engaging. And when you understand the psychology behind it, you’ll see why it’s a perfect fit for warehouse operations.
Why humans aren’t meant to be machines: The case for circadian rhythms in warehousing
In the fast-paced world of supply chains, efficiency is king. But here’s the reality that most warehouses ignore: treating human beings like machines is bad for business. Instead of demanding constant output, what if we designed shifts and workflows with human energy in mind?
The human element: The power of teams
I write and talk a lot about teams. Lately, what fascinates me is the opportunity to organize a workforce into teams and foster a team culture that realizes the potential of the “Human Element.” So how do you organize your workforce and structure your team to achieve an ideal dynamic?
The human element behind productivity
Today I am introducing a new series exploring what I call the “human element” behind productivity. Here's the interesting part: we’re going to try taking concepts developed for other industries and applications and apply them to a warehouse operation, with a little help from our friends.
Strategies for tackling common costly “offenders” in warehouse operations
Businesses are paying a higher price for labor, insurance, land, taxes, regulations, and transportation due to factors way outside the control of the distribution center. There are, however, a few areas of “low-hanging fruit” that the warehouse manager can control in the short term to counter higher costs.
Want to reduce your risk of cancer? Drink less alcohol
The evidence is clear: recent research findings about alcohol and cancer clearly show that alcohol consumption is a cancer risk factor. Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of a variety of cancers and even light drinking increases risk substantially. Learn more about the recent advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General on alcohol and cancer risk.