Elements of a Successful Material and Supply Chain Management Program: Part IV: Warehouse Operations

June 14, 2021

In Part Four of our series explaining the tactical elements that make up a successful supply chain program we uncover important questions to help you set up warehouse operations.

Part IV: Warehouse Operations

Every supply chain must have a place to store project materials. A properly sized facility, with efficient interior and exterior layouts, is essential for your supply chain program. Warehouses must provide efficient maneuverability of materials, workers and contractors.

Questions to consider when planning warehouse design are:

How seasonal is the build and what is the max capacity requirement for inventory?
What type of storage is required?
- What can be racked?
- What requires bulk storage?
- What can be stored outside?
What type of material handling equipment is required?
How much handling equipment is required to manage the per day site movements?
Will contractors be picking up materials?
- How will they drive through the yard?
- Where will the park and pick-up materials?
- What is the typical timing for contractor pick-up?
- How do pick-ups and deliveries overlap?
- What is the POD process for contractor pick-up?

What is the typical cycle time from order drop to shipment/pick-up time?

Tracking material movement, both inside and outside the facility, is another important piece of the puzzle. No matter the size of your facility, a robust Warehouse Management System (WMS) helps streamline and drive operations. The WMS ensures procedures and processes are in place for material movement, picking orders, putting away orders, and slotting materials to name a few.

KGPCo has operated successful supply chain and material management programs for over four decades. Our strong supplier relationships, vast inventory and advanced nationwide distribution network means we can deliver when and where our customers need us. Learn more.