Congratulations! You’ve looked at the numbers and company strategy and the payback is there. You’ve decided that you need a new warehouse, distribution center, or fulfillment center. You’re planning on using a consultant, design firm, integrator, 3PL, or other partner to implement your vision. But there are many challenges and risks in designing a new … Read more
Companies starting warehousing & distribution sites have an important decision to make. It’s about resourcing. Who will implement the site? Despite drawbacks, there’s a strong case for engaging external consultants to help your distribution and warehousing projects succeed. Here’s why: Startup Resource Planning Many factors go into this decision. First is the total resource plan … Read more
“Are we on schedule?” Schedules are a critical element of warehouse projects. They are important in both planning and project communication. Using scheduling best practices will help you plan and communicate effectively throughout the project. Here are some things to keep in mind as you build (or receive!) schedules. Schedules: Who they are for and … Read more
Project schedules are always a big focus in project execution. There’s so much time, money, and relationships tied to them, especially in big warehouse projects which often include construction, equipment, and software. Nobody likes delays, but there’s a lot ‘under the hood’ of a schedule that can make it go sideways. People, environment, other projects, … Read more
Warehouse design is critical to running efficient operations. But warehouse design is a complex problem with many inputs and just as many, if not more, possible solutions. And it has to be done for every warehouse startup. It’s important to have a philosophically and analytically sound approach to developing the solution, because you’ll spend huge … Read more
Calculating payback of warehouse projects is critical to prioritizing resources. This applies to projects ranging from getting a forklift to building a new site. In this post we’ll review a few ways to do this as well as some limitation to payback calculations. Why Calculate Payback Warehouse projects can be very large or small. They … Read more
So you’re working on a warehouse startup. Everyone is excited about the conveyors, the systems, the new building’s size and renderings. But it feels like something is missing. What is it… oh, right, people! You need a plan to bring on the people to operate the facility and make them effective. And many businesses find … Read more
A critical planning piece for a warehouse startup is the volume ramp plan. This is important because it informs the organization about what the new facility will be capable of and what they should plan for. It is a key deliverable that the Project Manager should identify and track during the planning process. Let’s explore … Read more
Managing a new warehouse start-up covers a lot of work. There are many moving parts and these parts have to be coordinated and managed. It can be daunting to think about whether you’ve accounted for everything. Let’s examine the work breakdown structure for a generic warehouse startup. Typical work structure At a workstream level there … Read more
When you’re starting up a new warehouse, change control may be the last thing on your mind. After all, you’re probably thinking about the conveyors, hiring, and forklift delays. It’s understandable because change control is often considered as administrative distraction, and–let’s be real–it’s not the most exciting part of the PMBOK. But managing change is … Read more