It’s no secret the holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for retail and shipping industries. And with increases in technology, ecommerce has become the driving force behind record numbers seemingly every year. Just last year, it’s estimated that shoppers spent $122 billion with online retailers alone.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2015 the Warehousing and Storage sector of the US economy employed 785,000 workers. By 2018, that number had grown to nearly 1.2 million—a total growth of more than 41 percent, or 415,000 jobs—driven largely by a growing economy and increased ecommerce sales across the country.
For warehouses, distribution centers, and order fulfillment operations, there is no more certain way of putting the brakes on business growth and expansion than reaching (or nearing) maximum capacity—whether in terms of space utilization or throughput.
It may be strange to think about the holidays in the high heat of August, but as anyone working in order fulfillment or retail knows, the holiday season is right around the corner.
If your order fulfillment operation is nearing capacity in terms of inventory, it may be possible to save floor space and optimize your warehouse.
Capacity planning in order fulfillment requires the careful balancing of short-term, immediate need against long-term goals and growth.
An accurate forecast of demand is essential for stocking appropriate levels of inventory and for planning a new or warehouse or other facility.
SKU Profiling is the process of understanding how product flows through a warehouse, which informs how and where product is stored.
Trying to decide which spare parts your order fulfillment operation needs to have on hand? These considerations will help you prioritize which parts to stock.
A sorter rebuild may be necessary if your sorter is more than 10 years old, is experiencing more errors and downtime, or just isn’t running like it used to.