Warehouses today are not only storage spaces, but instead host multiple value-adding processes, like just-in-time packaging, assembly, product customization, and in some cases, customer collection services.
If we have to summarize warehousing in simple terms it would be like –
In today’s era all wars of competition are won by the virtue of efficient logistics. And when you are at war you must ensure that both toilet paper and bullets are kept at the right place, in the right quantity and at the right time. Failing which your soldiers may find it difficult to fight.
Managing the warehouses is not as simple as it sounds and yet not complicated that it is a rocket science. Each expense in a warehousing operation is critical however important is to remember that “We must be aware of even little expenses as a small leak can also sink a great ship. However we must also consider the expense desired as the absence of a small hole in an aircraft window can result into collapse”
Efficient warehouse management mainly depends on:
- Planning of the building itself (in case of new designs)
- Layout inside the warehouse
- Sections planned within the warehouse
- Processes governing the warehouse
- People managing the warehouse
- Control mechanisms implemented
- Compliance
- Intent and purpose of having the warehouse
At Synergeze Consultants Private Limited we provide end to end consulting on the warehouse management and till date have supported many clients in either creation of new and state of the art warehouses and revamping their existing warehouses to the modern ones.
Through onboard domain expertise of more than 4 decades in operating and designing warehouses we have served our clients in various warehousing projects mainly categorised in 2 verticals.
It all starts with property search and ends with creating a state-of-the-art customer ready warehouse with all the industry standard features inbuilt in the most optimized value add manner.
- Market research on the feasibility study and commodity fitment for a particular site
- Suggesting the required compliances to the client
- Coordination with the construction and design agencies to get the best layout designed and constructed
- Guidance on the best suited storage and handling equipment to be installed.
- All other necessary requirements are advised depending on the type of warehouse and location like fire safety systems, movements, parking’s etc
- Guiding on getting the best customers onboard for leasing the warehouse and supporting the clients in safeguarding their interests on the subject
However, all this starts with selection of the right place and property. Our experts help you in evaluating the available property or help you with assessing the various options available.
Searching for an existing warehouse that best matches your future operational requirements can be a challenge. We have substantial experience working with clients to search the warehouse property market place for an appropriate specification. First, we help create a specification that will accommodate future needs such as growth and foreseeable business trends. Then, using our knowledge of the property market, we can prepare and refine an available short list of potential suitable properties and assist with the operational evaluation of each.
Our warehouse design and operational expertise can be used to consider and evaluate the following
- Optimum location
- Site access issues to and from the local road network
- Access control to the site
- Site and building measurement
- Loading and unloading areas
- Internal building flows and appropriate use of space
- Designing storage layout options and associated capacity
- Designing other processing areas such as packing, kitting or other value-added activities
- Development of a site operational and implementation cost budget for property option comparison
- The external yard area usage and layout including, but not limited to: road layouts, vehicle slows and turning requirements; parking requirements; fuelling facilities; waste facilities and waste returns / processing areas
- Site and building modification requirements
If you have a current warehouse set-up not yielding the desired support to your business because of inefficiencies or process deficiencies we, have you covered. Even if it’s about a network of warehouses including distribution depots, regional warehouses and plant warehouses we can support in optimizing your resources, improving your processes and thereby reducing your warehouse cost and improving your overall operations KPI’s.
Warehouse improvement projects can be the result of a failing warehouse due to capacity constraints or an exercise to reduce costs and improve service levels. The approach is the same, a range of our standard tools, techniques and applications are used with the target output being multiple warehouse improvement initiatives, from easy to implement immediate changes through to more complex change plans all of which will reduce costs, improve service levels and be affordable.
All Our consultants have operational experience and will work alongside your warehouse team to ensure practical, deliverable and affordable improvement plans are developed and implemented considering:
Are your business processes aligned with the warehouse activities? Are roles and responsibilities clear? What are the business rules for each process? What if something goes wrong?
Does the storage media (racking, shelving, etc) meet your current and future requirements? Can you improve the use of the available cube in the warehouse without degrading productivity?
Can the operation be equipment? improved through some mechanisation (i.e., conveyors) or automation (i.e., storage and retrieval)? Will the likely investment in automation have a reasonable payback? Will automation help or hinder your operation?
Does your warehouse meet the stated requirements? What areas should be evaluated further? Where are you losing money or sales?
Is the flow through the building efficient? Are work and storage areas appropriately located?
Are you storing SKUs in the right area? Is your overall travel through the warehouse minimised? Are you creating unnecessary congestion points?
is the current MHE suitable for the planned operation? Can productivity and capacity be improved with alternative equipment?
Does the current system support the planned operation? What functionality is required to improve productivity? Is the investment in new functionality cost effective? What is the payback?
Is your operation efficient? What can be improved? Does your overall productivity meet expectations?
A typical milestone-based process for warehouse network and operations optimization consulting looks like
- Data Collection & Analysis
- Diagnosis of As-Is scenario and projection of tangible deliverables
- Revamping the current layout considering the KPI deliverables in sight
- Review and re-engineering of complete end to end business processes
- Warehouse network optimization by reducing inventory footprint duplication keeping the end use in consideration
- Implementation of standard SOPs for all warehouse and support activities with proper people alignment with SOP’s
