Introduction

Warehouses are often seen as a necessary evil: places that stop the flow of goods and thus increase costs without adding value. Excellence in Warehouse Management covers everything you need to know to manage warehouse operations as part of a streamlined and holistic system, fine-tuned to serve the customer and drive the bottom-line. With thinking points, self-assessment exercises and case studies that the program challenges you to consider your own operations in a new way, and plot a course into the future.

 On completion of this program you should be able to: 

• List the functions of a warehouse.
• State the primary objectives of a warehouse.
• State why a criteria for assessing warehouse is important.
• Describe the objectives of inventory management
• Perform ABC inventory control & analysis
• Understand inventory’s role in service organizations

Program Outline

The Role of Warehousing and Stores

• Warehousing and the supply chain.
• Training topics.
• Definitions.
• Strategic aspects of warehousing.
• Customers.
• The value chain.
• Warehouse location.
• Modern warehouse operations.
• World-class warehousing.
• Conclusion.

Inventory, Stock Analysis and Classifying Products

• Product classification.
• Demand analysis.
• ABC analysis.
• Product coding.
• Product handling groups.
• Inventory management: why hold stock?
• Inventory costs and service.
• Lead time.
• Demand forecasting.
• Inventory and statistics.
• How much stock should be held?
• Replenishment methods.
• Questions about inventory.

Stock Control

• Stock inaccuracy.
• Continuous or periodic stock checking.
• Stock control.
• Security and preventing loss.
• Information security.
• Training topics.

The Warehouse and Operational Principles

• Warehouse structure.
• Warehouse operations.
• Receiving.
• Location methods in the warehouse.
• Picking options.
• Customer orders.
• Methods of picking.
• Dispatching activity.
• Organizing for flow.

Equipment

• Fork-lift trucks.
• Racking/shelving.
• The aisle width decision.

Warehouse Information Communications Technology

• Importance of information.
• Decision-making and ICT.
• Improvements with ICT.
• Warehouse ICT applications.
• Systems implementation.

Regulations

• Health and safety at work.
• Management of health and safety.
• Health and safety arrangements.
• Warehouse health and safety risks.
• Risk assessments.
• Fork-lift trucks: health and safety.

Productivity, Cost and Service

• Framework for analysis.
• Key costs.
• Key productivity drivers.
• Basic improvements.
• Understanding productivity.
• Determining pricing and charging.
• Customer service.
• Added value.
• Warehouse layout.
• Training topics.

Outsourcing

• Users’ views of third parties and the marketplace.
• Selecting third parties.
• Training topics.

People Management

• Company culture.
• Management.
• Work objectives and performance.
• Motivating people.
• Empowering.
• Teams.
• Communication.
• Managing change.
• Warehouse picking operatives.
• Training topics.

Developments and Trends

• Supply chain impacts on stores and warehousing.
• Global logistics.
• Reverse logistics and customer returns.
• Risk.
• Roads.
• Legislation.
• Technology.
• People development.
• Political influences.
• The supply chain.
• Warehouse aims/ideals.