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The Warehouse of the Future: Planning for Intelligent Transformation
Twenty years ago, a warehouse worker would wake up, fill a thermos with coffee, and hop into his car to drive to work. He might run into traffic on the way there and flip through radio stations looking for a good song. When he arrived at the warehouse, he would get the day’s paperwork from…
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Warehouse Racking Safety Guidelines: Satisfying OSHA
ARTICLE UPDATED ON JUNE 21, 2023 Warehouse Racking Safety Guidelines: Satisfying OSHA The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has an important job — keeping workplaces and workers safe. However, its rules are often nuanced, complex, and hard to follow, making it easy for employers to accidentally violate an obscure rule. Violations usually carry steep…
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Following Lean Warehousing Principles for Improved Efficiency
ARTICLE UPDATED ON JUNE 22, 2023 Following Lean Warehousing Principles for Improved Efficiency A top goal for warehouse managers is to run an effective operation in which productivity is high and goods flow efficiently throughout the supply chain. However, as markets continue to shift, demand skyrockets, and the supply chain evolves, it can be difficult…
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How to Keep a Warehouse Clean
One of the constants of working in a warehouse is grit, grime, and miscellaneous trash that no one really knows the source of. Keeping a warehouse clean is an ongoing struggle, and one that is becoming more and more important. A dirty or cluttered warehouse is not only an eyesore and a safety hazard, but…
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Cold Chain Best Practices: Tips for Temperature-Sensitive Products
The cold chain is likely the most unforgiving supply chain in logistics, and it isn’t hard to understand why. It’s energy intensive to run cooling systems in storage and transportation, and the environment between transportation vehicles and storage areas is often uncontrolled and, indeed, uncontrollable. As a result, the weather can affect the viability of…
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The Block Pallet vs. Stringer Pallet: Choosing a Platform for Your Product
ARTICLE UPDATED ON AUGUST 24, 2023 Ensuring the safe movement of products through the supply chain heavily relies on having the appropriate shipping pallets. The difference between smoothly transferring goods from the truck to their next destination, and encountering inventory mishaps due to pallet failure, lies in the reliability of the chosen pallets. The United…
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AGVs in the Warehouse: What to Know About Implementing Autonomous Guided Vehicles
ARTICLE UPDATED FEBRUARY 29, 2024 If you are involved in the field of logistics, you may be facing challenges in recruiting and maintaining a full workforce, which may be leading to difficulties in meeting productivity targets and ensuring compliance with your shipped goods. Recent trends in the supply chain, such as workforce shortages and increased…
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Good Warehouse Practices in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Losses associated with temperature lapses in the pharmaceutical supply chain are estimated at $320 billion globally, a number larger than the combined market valuation of Visa, Intel, and Walmart. Plainly, reliable supply chains are critically important for the profitability of the pharmaceutical industry and for the safety of consumers. While the medical professionals who administer…
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Supply Chain Trends for 2018: The Future of Logistics
It’s been a good year for business. In April 2018, the unemployment rate dipped below the four percent mark for the first time in over a decade, and those employees have started to spend their wages. The supply chain has sprung to life to provide consumers with the products they demand. It’s a heartening sign…
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GMA Pallet Grades: How and Why Are Pallets Graded?
ARTICLE UPDATED ON JUNE 28, 2023 CBA Pallet Grades: How and Why Are Pallets Graded? In the early 1920’s, shortly after the modern forklift was developed, the first pallets also emerged — transforming the way products were stored at that time. Years later, during World War II, pallets evolved even further. The wood pallet —…
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Maximizing Warehouse Space to Make the Most of Your Building
A warehouse only operates at peak efficiency when the warehouse manager is able to play live-action Tetris in three dimensions in order to find space for inventory. This difficult job isn’t made easier by the warehouse manager’s distance from the company’s decision makers. Many at the executive level pay little attention to logistics systems. A…
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How to Stack Empty Pallets Safely
In the world of warehouses and distribution centers, empty pallets often find themselves in a temporary limbo. They’ve fulfilled their cargo-carrying duties, but their next journey up the supply chain must wait until enough accumulates for transport. Amidst this logistical dance, how to stack empty pallets safely becomes a crucial consideration. While a haphazard pile…