Supply Chain Management Blog

Insight for Warehouse and DC Operators

What to Look for in an Unloading Service

Partnering with a freight handling company for your warehouse is a big decision. Your company should create a detailed set of requirements and measureable objectives for improvement before contacting potential providers. In this post, we outline some of the top areas to consider when evaluating an unloading service. Longevity If a critical partner in your…
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How to Manage Warehouse Labor Effectively

Warehouse and DC managers face a unique challenge in their roles: managing a variable cost that ebbs and flows on a daily basis. Of course we are talking about warehouse labor, i.e. the crucial folks in the inbound supply chain who receive product, organize it, and move it through to the storefront (this role is…
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How to Run an Efficient Warehouse

Between a warehouse’s staff, its shippers, and its in-house or contracted labor, the inbound supply chain is a complex equation. Even the most sophisticated distribution centers are filled with opportunities for improvement. Here are just a few points to consider when thinking big picture about your warehouse operations. Capture data at every unloading touchpoint. There’s…
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Beyond Warehouse Temp Agencies

Costa Solutions is more than just a warehouse temp agency. A quick search for this term will reveal a lot of companies doing business under this model. But what’s the danger of contracting with someone who bills themselves as a “temp agency?” If you’re having a sudden crisis with your internally managed warehouse labor force…
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Warehouse Outsourcing: Common Pricing Models

Although many in warehouse labor pay workers a flat hourly rate, at Costa we’ve found that incentivized pay can be the most productive way to compensate workers. One of the biggest issues that DC’s find in warehouse contracting is that they choose labor outsourcing based on price, rather than on service quality. While it isn’t…
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7 Costly Warehouse Mistakes

Warehouse mismanagement accounts for millions of dollars in lost revenue for American companies every year. Don’t be one of them. Here are the seven most common mistakes that could be keeping you from running more efficient operations. 1. Inaccurate Forecasting. Imperfect shipping forecasts mean you’ll either under-staff or over-staff, either of which will cost you money.…
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Freight Unloading Service: 5 Considerations

Unloading trailers is an obvious source of frustration for carriers, drivers, and the businesses waiting for the delivery to complete. Receiving docks are often the place where productivity falls behind. Are your docks as efficient as they can be? Or are they a choke point for inbound and outbound freight handling? Here are five things…
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What Does Warehouse Outsourcing Cost?

Warehouse and distribution centers (DCs) needing to outsource warehouse and shipping operations have a lot of options. Of course, they can hire, train and support an in-house labor force to do it all. But in an era of supply chain optimization where everyone’s feeling the pressure to keep labor costs low, a common option is…
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