Building and operating multi warehouse operations for multiple clients with customized processes can’t get easy. When not done right, it could lead to failures in KPIs and stressful firefighting.Â
Here is what I learned from managing multi-client, multi-warehouse operations proactively:
Not real-time data, build real-time analytics:
With the surge in softwares, there is no dearth of real-time data. But if used only for postmortem analysis that’s half good. It’s important to build a layer of real-time analysis on that data which could help summarize and act in minimal time. Integrated Real-time dashboards, Power BI could be a great tool.
Knowing is not enough:
Even when you know almost instantaneously that something is going to go wrong you cannot prevent it unless you have trained your team to handle exceptions/crises. Operations Failures almost always occur when you were not prepared or informed about the upcoming. Train the ground team to forecast, plan and execute efficiently.
Assume a high forecast error:
Assumptions go wrong, plans change, and the future is unpredictable. Through multiple iterations, we learned building 20% excess capacity could save the team the burnout and quality degeneration from firefighting the unanticipated.
Each client, geography and team have a unique style of working and requirement, adapting by providing flexibility whilst maintaining the required level of standardization is the long-term recipe for success.
Read to Know More: The Power of Automation in Warehousing
Ms Anamika Jain
