interlinkONE's VP of Sales Karen DeWolfe delivered this presentation at the 2012 MFSA Annual Conference in Asheville, North Carolina.
During the presentation, entitled "Saving Time and Money in Warehouse Operations", Karen shared a number of strategies, technologies, tools, and tips to help companies streamline their inventory management and order fulfillment processes.
Karen covers items such as:
- Online Ordering and Web-to-Print portals
- Wireless Barcode Scanners
- Order Picking Options
- Inventory Replenishment Techniques
- And more!
4. Supply Chain Data
• Report
published by the
CMO Council
• “A Straight Line
to the Front
Line”
5. Why Show You These Charts?
• Because if you can
provide solutions to
these problems in
YOUR warehouse
operations and
services, you can
earn more business!
10. Success Starts with the WMS!
Areas Where
Improvement Can Often
Be Found:
– Online Ordering Portals
– Inventory Management
– Automation & Customer
Service
12. Why an Online Ordering Portal?
• People are comfortable
ordering online.
• It can reduce data-
transfer time.
• Integrating it with your
Warehouse
Management System is
key! Streamline Order
process.
16. Benefits of Print On Demand
• Reduce Costs: Storage, Handling, and
Inventory Accounting
• Supports Growing Demand for Shorter
Runs
• There is little or no waste from unsold
products.
17. POD & Variable Data:
Name Interest Status $$ Spent Yearly
John Smith Food Silver 5K
Michelle Jones Card Games Gold 20K
Frank Stafford Shows Platinum 50K
18. Before the Launch
• Test online ordering portal
in multiple browsers
– Help poll sales reps to find out
what they use
• Keep the mobile audience
in mind
– Mobile-optimized portal might
not be needed just yet, but
watch the growth in numbers!
19. After the Launch
• Provide access to Training
videos inside of the ordering
portal
• Make it easy for people to
ask for help
• Train CSRs how to debug
common issues:
– Can’t login
– Don’t know my password
– How do I find a specific
item?
21. Handling Reorder Points
• Static Reorder Point at
Product Level
OR…
• Automatic
Replenishment
Calculations
22. Automated Reorder Point
• Fluctuating Reorder
Point based on
usage over time,
amount needed to
satisfy orders in
months to come.
• Helps to forecast
increased demand
at different points in
the year as well.
23. Benefits of Automated Reorder
• It puts your data to use!
• Monitors spikes or dips in activity, order
history, inventory amounts, etc.
• Keeps in mind unusual seasons and
events: Trade Shows, Yearly Meetings,
etc.
24. Constantly Analyze
Picking Process!
• Is the most popular inventory easily accessible?
• Are the Pick Tickets properly sending your staff
in the right path?
• Invest in training and quality circles
• Reward useful feedback from the “pickers”!
25. Picking Process: Print & Mobile
• Picker scans pick ticket,
tells them which
location to go to
• Heads to location
• Scans product to verify
they’re picking the right
product
• Scans location barcode
to confirm they picked
from right location
26. Automated Case Picking?
Popular in food and beverage industries… but as
success stories are reported, could expand to fulfillment
for other types of products.
28. Scanners in Receiving
Manual process
requires:
•Data Entry
•Clerical Work
Moving to an automated
process including
barcode scanners can
save hours of time!
30. Deciding Which Device to Get
Pickers preferred MC3190… Receiving folks preferred
because they are little quicker, MC9190.. Larger, more rugged,
lighter bigger display, bigger keypad
33. Smartphone Access to Reports
• With a mobile-
optimized solution, key
warehouse personnel
could easily check on
inventory levels, order
status, backorders, and
more from their
smartphones.
37. Track “Open Carts”
• Eliminate the calls and
complaints related to users
that were unable to
complete their orders the
first time through
• Make it possible for them to
track what they’ve ordered
• Also, be able to see why
items with stock “on hand”
are unavailable
38. Review All Touch-Points
• Pick Tickets
• Packing Slips
• Order Confirmation Emails
• Shipping Notification Emails
Do those items increase your manual work-
load or do they help to streamline it?
39. Saving Time and Money is easy.
Where you will see immediate
results
40. Saving Time and Money
• Ordering Portals that will allow you to:
– Get orders in faster and more conveniently
– An opportunity to cross sell
– Open New Revenue Stream
– Save sales time in order and quote taking
• Print On Demand will allow you to:
– Use less physical space and resources
– Less waste
– Faster to market content
41. Saving Time and Money
• Reorder Automation that will allow you to:
– Move beyond ordering a set amount and into
predictable usage
– System driven to save CSRs and Product
Manger time
– Less wasted material in overage
• Electronic Fulfillment will allow you to:
– Use less physical space and resources
– Less waste
– Faster to market content
42. Saving Time and Money
• Efficient Automation and Customer
Service will allow you to:
– Have users self service
– Have answers to questions quickly
– Spend less time on support
– Save money in resource allocation
43. Final Thoughts
• Saving Time in Warehouse Operations
often involves streamlining processes from
end-to-end --- from order entry to the
shipment of the order.
• Be committed to measuring and analyzing
all areas of your operation consistently!
44. See you at the MFSA Annual
Conference!
CHANGING PERSPECTIVES
to Create a Brighter Future
46. Request a Demo?
Would you like to see our Order and Warehouse
Management software in action?
Register for a free demo today!
http://ilnk.me/fc67
47. The Book
Strategies, Plans,
Case Studies
Campaign Ideas, and
More.
A guide to help you
grow your mailing
and fulfillment
business!
NewPathToProfit.com
People are more comfortable than ever ordering all sorts of items, products, and services online. As ownership of mobile devices increases, so will the demand to be able to order what they want, when they want it, and how they want it. BENEFITS: Provides 24-7 access to inventory and other items Reduces need for manual intervention in the order-taking process Allows companies to expose additional items and other services
One way to solve those types of problems is to provide an online ordering portal where your reps can order electronic fulfillment items (and hardcopy!) whenever they want, whenever they need it.
No matter how well designed your picking system WAS, changing customer requirements will undermine its original excellence. Your pickers and supervisors are your first line of defense against "creeping obsolescence." An investment in productivity and accuracy improvement (Total Quality), and management supported quality circles that meet regularly to identify problems and propose solutions, will pay big dividends in continuous improvement of even an already excellent system.
http://www.distributionmanagementexpo.com/Motorola_Webinar.html 16 minutes into video
Scanning inventory will result in more accurate counts, on hand amounts.. Will reduce time needed for doing full inventory counts… can instead do cycle counts!
http://www.distributionmanagementexpo.com/Motorola_Webinar.html 19:30 minutes into video Pickers preferred MC3190… because they are little quicker, lighter Receiving folks preferred MC9190.. Larger, more rugged, bigger display, bigger keypad