Manufacturers take their warehouses for granted, treating them like a household refrigerator. No one questions the importance of a fridge and how it contributes to the well-being and health of the household, yet no one thinks twice about its care and maintenance, let alone managing the contents. This laissez-faire attitude results in a great deal of waste- 25 percent of the contents of the average American fridge are thrown away. Warehouses are on a similar trajectory, wasting 22 percent annually.
Warehouses aren’t an issue until you can’t find what you need or the write-offs start becoming too big. Materials management doesn’t come naturally to manufacturers, who only view inventory as a cost to be minimized. This blind spot hinders manufacturers from scaling their material handling processes and ultimately impacts profitable growth. This book shows how to achieve an efficient warehouse and, more importantly, transform it into a competitive advantage. Based on the author’s 25 plus years of inventory management experience, you’ll find case studies, easy to implement ideas and tools you can use right away to start transforming your warehouse.