by Jon Schreibfeder | Jan 15, 2015 | General
Last week I received a phone call from the owner of a distribution company who said he was “desperate” to improve his inventory performance. In a lengthy phone conversation, we discussed his company’s primary inventory challenges: • The quantities of products in his...
by Jon Schreibfeder | Dec 15, 2014 | Warehousing
Last month we looked at ways to improve inventory accuracy and receiving activities. This month we are going to look at some best practices in picking. One of the most effective enhancements to your picking process is to implement a warehouse management system...
by Jon Schreibfeder | Nov 15, 2014 | General, Warehousing
Over the past several weeks, I have been working with two customers to improve the accuracy of their inventory. That is, to ensure that the on-hand quantities in their computer system agree with what is actually on the shelves in their warehouses. No matter how...
by Jon Schreibfeder | Oct 15, 2014 | General
Some months ago, I discussed some bad advice that was being promoted by some industry experts. Your response was overwhelming. Many of you described other situations in which you did not receive realistic solutions to your problems. But sometimes even bad advice can...
by Jon Schreibfeder | Sep 15, 2014 | Stocking Decisions
To avoid a possible stockout, a product should be ordered as soon as its replenishment position or net available quantity (i.e., On-Hand – Committed on Current Customer Orders + Current Replenishment Orders) falls down to its reorder point or minimum stock quantity....
by Jon Schreibfeder | Aug 15, 2014 | Warehousing
Last week we received an inquiry asking when it makes sense to set up a regional distribution center rather than having suppliers deliver all products directly to the branch or warehouse that will sell them. Distributing products from a central company location...
by Jon Schreibfeder | Jul 15, 2014 | Forecasting
Last month we introduced the “Record, Report and Evaluate” procedure for obtaining for predictions of how sales or material consumption will change in the future. This month we will continue to explore how we can obtain the most accurate estimates of future demand...
by Jon Schreibfeder | Jun 15, 2014 | Forecasting
An accurate forecast of future demand is a crucial element in properly stocking products. Many computer systems include time-series forecasting models. Some of these tools do a good job of estimating future demand of products, but all have one major problem; they can...
by Jon Schreibfeder | May 15, 2014 | General
The most important element of effective inventory management is to meet or exceed your customers’ expectations of product availability. To achieve this goal, you must depend on your vendors’ ability to reliably replenish your inventory. But your vendors aren’t always...
by Jon Schreibfeder | Apr 15, 2014 | General
Your organization utilizes people, equipment, inventory and other assets to serve customers. Almost every day these three elements work in harmony to generate profits. They may work so well that your management is lulled into a false sense of security. But what if...
