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Insourcing Or Outsourcing Logistics: Don’t Choose The Wrong Reasons

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The increasing complexity of supply chains as a result of evolving technology, consumer demands, and the constant effort to save costs has resulted in an increase in outsourced tasks. As supply chain and logistics activities become more complicated, buyers plan to spend more on outsourcing in the coming years. But how can businesses pick which functions to outsource and which to remain in-house, and what are some of the dangers involved? Outsourcing decisions are frequently binary. For example, it makes more sense to outsource logistical activities to a 3PL or to maintain it in-house. In our significant experience assisting organizations with outsourcing, correcting mistakes, improving relationships with 3PLs, and even making the important insourcing vs outsourcing choice, we have seen numerous cases where the decision to outsource or not needed to be revised due to faulty thinking. In most situations, the error occurs because decision-makers fail to adequately consider the merits an...

How To Improve Warehouse Operations

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  The rolling out of products in time is directly proportional to happy customers. When items arrive on time and customers are satisfied, it's easy to believe a firm is efficient - but it's astonishing how many small changes may significantly influence an organization's bottom line. Warehouse efficiency is more than just putting everything in its proper place and getting things out on time; it is also about increasing productivity while saving time and money. Some techniques, such as labeling, are intuitive and do not need the use of the software. Others, like barcodes, scanners, and RFID systems , are all components of warehouse and inventory management systems, which emphasize tracking the movement of personnel and items and improving accuracy using the software. Warehouse efficiency is essential to any distribution organization's success, and boosting warehouse efficiency is a significant concern for warehouse managers everywhere. It is common knowledge that increa...

Recognizing the Benefits of Using Robotics in Fulfillment Centers

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  In order to remain competitive and boost productivity and efficiency in supply chain operations, 3pl distribution companies are embracing contemporary technology. Automated order eCommerce fulfillment services have proven incredibly beneficial due to their ability to automate processes requiring little or no intellect. They may be used to carry out various picking tactics, convey items and supplies from one location to another, and assist with restocking tasks. These robots range from articulated arms that automate high-volume SKU fulfillment to collaborative and autonomous mobile robots that supplement human labor.   Reduced transit time across the plant is one of the primary advantages of robotic order fulfillment. The less time human operators spend going from one end of the warehouse floor to the other, the more time they have for productive tasks influencing customer satisfaction. Robots minimize the number of visits warehouse personnel must make to fulfill orders by...

Fulfillment Centers Look to Mitigate the Impact of Employee Turnover

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  Warehouse employment is the single most expensive component of a fulfillment process. If your logistics partner does not take actions to decrease warehouse turnover, this cost can soon spiral out of hand. Consider that replacing a single warehouse employee might cost up to $10,000. Given the high turnover rate in the warehousing industry, those expenses will soon escalate into the millions for a 3PL with many fulfillment facilities. One of the primary advantages of employing a fulfillment 3PL is the transfer of responsibilities for labor management. However, your fulfillment supplier can only absorb so much of its labor costs before passing the rest on to you. So, to avoid having your rates negatively impacted by bad labor practices, inquire with your fulfillment partner about what they are doing to enhance staff retention at the warehouse. Moreover, if a 3PL provider wants to optimize employee turnover, there are few things that they can consider doing.  1. Improve App...

7 Signs You’re About to Outgrow Your Fulfillment Provider

 With the growth of business, every part of your business should progress to sustain the success of the business. Having a fulfillment provider can support your business and reduce the workload of the supply chain operations. With the help of a fulfillment provider, you need not to worry about your logistics and supply chain operations and focus on other important business operations. Moreover, your fulfillment provider should be able to scale up their operational level to match the increased load of the business needs. However, there are times when this can be challenging to achieve. Majority of the times, eCommerce businesses and retailers present in the market are able to outgrow their providers before they even have a chance to look for a satisfactory replacement. However, this usually is not the case. Finding a more suitable replacement for your ecommerce fulfillment services can be challenging at times. Moreover, it can lead to operational difficulties. The more feasible opti...

How 3PLs Should Be Maximizing Their Warehouse Capacity?

  Warehouse storage space is becoming a major concern for businesses today. Efficient usage of warehouse space is required to store the maximum amount of inventory possible to make the best use of all the available space in a warehouse. Along with the inventory, warehouses also need space to store equipment that are required to handle goods inside the warehouse. Making the optimum usage of all the available space inside a warehouse is the most beneficial for the business as well as logistics partner. AWL is one of the leading 3PL warehouse companies that offers the most efficient usage of warehouse space. Warehouse capacity refers to the amount of space that is being used by the warehouse for storage, inventory handling, and order fulfillment processes. However, it is important to understand that the theoretical space and warehouse capacity are two different things. The theoretical space refers to the physical space that is vertical and horizontal space available in the warehouse....

Fulfillment Center vs. Warehouse: What are the Differences?

  Since both the warehouse and the fulfillment center belong to the same industry they are usually considered the same. However, in reality, they are very different from each other. Warehouses and fulfillment centers are large buildings that are used to store inventory for companies that wish to sell their products. This is the only similarity between the two. In reality, both of them are quite different from each other and fulfill different purposes for the company. However, whether to use a fulfillment center or a warehouse completely depends on the nature of the business as well as on its requirements. AWL is one of the leading warehouse logistics companies that enables businesses with smart tech enabled warehousing solutions and fulfillment centers. Furthermore, AWL offers the best in class logistics and supply chain solutions that can make it easy for you to focus on other important business operations. Continue reading to understand the functions of warehouses and fulfillmen...