“Consume less, share better.” - Herve Kempf
Shared warehousing, also known as public warehousing, can’t sound anything other than cost effective, right? Your goods are received, stored and distributed by a 3PL provider who has made all of the investment in buying or leasing land, building, equipment and labor. Certainly that keeps cash flow in your pocket. But are you getting the biggest bang for your buck for public or shared warehousing?
We all know how the story goes when it comes to finding the lowest price, “you get what you pay for” they say. Wouldn’t it be nice for once to pay less for great quality! When it comes to warehousing rates, you can. Data is the key!
Does your warehouse or 3PL provider have an internal audit program in place? It is critical for all operations follow standard operating procedures (SOP’s) – that’s how you get to the quality we need to deliver on our promises.
What is the key to a successful business? We all have a common goal and that is to grow our businesses. The key is to bring in new partners and not just customers. You want to form new partnerships and not categorize them as customers. Here are the principals to the partnership approach -
At Weber, we distribute a lot of candy.
In fact, if you’ve eaten any of the sweet snacks pictured here and you live in the Western U.S., it’s a pretty sure bet that the candy traveled through a Weber distribution center.
What exactly happens at Weber’s temperature-controlled warehouses to ensure that the quality and integrity of these products are maintained throughout the cold chain distribution cycle?
Check out this 2-minute video to find out.
Weber Logistics hosted a “Tank the Tax” press conference at our San Diego distribution center. Tank the Tax is a campaign that advocates against regulations that would raise the cost of fuel in the state.
What is logistics customer service? Well, traditionally it has meant logistics companies focused on providing great service to their paying customers. But lately 3PL providers are taking a vested interest in the end customer – for consumer product companies, that would be the retailer – to make sure all delivery compliance rules are met and to learn how to make the receiving process more efficient.
For instance, in conversation with a 3PL, one retail chain asked if the following improvements could be made:
• Punch holes in the sides of heavier boxes for easier maneuverability from dock to shelf.
• Pick and pack orders according to category, with multiple products packed according to each aisle in the retail store.
Real estate investment firm Jones Lange LaSalle just came out with its Fall 2013 “Big Box Velocity Index.” It measures both building activity and demand for industrial warehouse space across the U.S. The report suggests the economy is rebounding, with demand for warehouses strong across the country, especially for buildings over 500,000 square feet. According to the report, the overall industrial vacancy rate is the lowest since the 2nd quarter of 2008.
Southern California’s Inland Empire region leads the nation in occupancy gains in 2013, with 10.2 million square feet of space leased forThe logistics industry is transforming before our eyes. Yesterday’s approaches won’t satisfy the incessant and urgent demand for faster, better, cheaper. According to Patrick Lencioni, a keynote speaker at the recent Material Handling and Logistics Conference in Park City, UT, only healthy companies will have the ingredients to succeed in this fast-paced sector.
Borrowing thoughts from his book, “Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” he talked about the five key behaviors that firms must demonstrate to build a “healthy company:” Trust, Conflict, Commitment, Accountability and Results.
Trust: The toughest part of Trust is being vulnerable. Leaders must acknowledge when mistakes are made. Being vulnerable is to be human. Everyone on the leadership team must have the humility and security to voice their true opinions and feeling without fear.
Conflict: “Great teams have conflict.” Conflict becomes “the pursuit of the truth.” It is not healthy to have a leadership team that is insecure and always agrees with the top dog. It takes courage to disagree and create conflict. If the team has trust, conflict will be a true differentiator and decisions will be more thoroughly vetted and correct.
Commitment: If people don’t weigh in, they won’t buy in. It is important to gain active consensus from all company leaders in order for the organization’s strategy to be successful.
Accountability: Half the boat doesn’t sink. Because organizations are inter-dependent, people need to hold one another accountable. Big challenges may require help from others to achieve the goal, and that’s okay, but the accountable person must seek that help and own the outcome. Accountability keeps everyone on track and working together.
Results: Within a healthy organization, communication from the top down about progress and results is critical. Leaders must over-communicate the company’s strategy, goals and challenges. Team members want to know where the company is going and where it is on that journey.
Healthy behavior is required, but Lencioni reminded us that the foundation for a successful company is a strategy that delivers relevant value to the customer in a way that no one else or few others can emulate.
Mr. Lencioni confessed that none of his ideas were new or groundbreaking. But he added that these critical behavior traits are routinely ignored in businesses, large and small.
Is your company a “healthy company?"
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