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The production control board is a key visual tool for enabling the efficient management of a lean operation.

Making Incentive Programs Work

TZA, a consulting firm that specializes in helping companies optimize their labor management capabilities, introduces ProTrack Dashboard

Distribution operations in most companies face enormous pressure to cut costs while improving service. The good news is that there is a proven solution – labor management- that reduces fulfillment costs while increasing throughput and customer service. Though it seems hard to believe, productivity improvements in the range of 15 percent to 30 percent aren’t just possible – they are commonly achieved. Read on to find out how.

TZA Consulting had added lean practices to its portfolio of supply-chain services.

Once again, TZA has been named to the FL 100, the respected annual listing of top Technology Solution Providers that focus on the foodservice distribution and manufacturing industry. This is an especially satisfying form of recognition, because the nominations come from end users and other solution providers. “We are please to be named to the FL100 for the second year in a row. TZA works tirelessly to achieve supply chain excellence and quantitative results for all of our 10 different grocers and 11 different Food and Beverage clients we service. With our Labor Management and our Transportation products and services we not only focus achieving results today, but put in place tools so that clients can achieve these successes in the future” stated Evan Danner, President TZA. Every year since 2004, the editors of Food Logistics comb through many nominees to recognize 100 technology and solution providers that help grocery and foodservice distributors and manufacturers reach their business goals. This year, the editors focused their selection on the theme of using technology to manage change through hard economic times. “The FL100 listing provides a guide for decision-making grocery and foodservice distribution and manufacturing executives,” explains Katherine Doherty, editor-in-chief of Food Logistics magazine. “These companies rely on technology to better manage their supply chains and help weather the financial storm. The FL100 recipients have demonstrated that they can meet our readers’ specific needs.”

Modern has reported that warehouse and distribution center operations that are using LMS are 20% to 30% more productive than sites that aren't putting it to work.

What are the Key LMS Software Differentiators

In a down economy, using your labor more efficiently is critical to controlling costs.

It's widely assumed that a union work force won't accept engineered labor standards. But if you work within the contract and bring the union in from the start, you might be surprised.

After a merger, Wilton Products consolidated its distribution processes in a redesigned DC that nearly tripled throughput.

Need to get more from your workforce? Improvements in labor management software are driving real cost savings.

At John B. Sanfilippo & Son, a warehouse management system drives manufacturing and distribution.

Even the most sophisticated labor management program requires more than good software. You need the right training, tools and incentives for employee buy-in.

TZA provides valuable insight to Kranz, Inc. for improving operations and delivery processes

You've just installed a new material handling system in your warehouse. But it soon becomes apparent that your system is not performing like you anticipated it would. Maybe a merge in the conveyor system is not able to keep up with the carton volume you are experiencing, or your picking productivity in a new pick module is not where you anticipated it would be. While this can be a frustrating and overwhelming situation, there are several things that you can do to address this situation and get to the root cause of the problem.

If you are looking to increase productivity in your DC, it's not time to retrain employees. It's time to train supervisors. In fact, supervisor training alone nets between 5 and 9% productivity gains immediately.

The scenario is all too familiar. The best lift truck operator in the building is promoted to supervisor, and he's a failure. The same thing happens for the best order picker or the best shipping clerk. A person who has superior on a prior job just can't cut it as a manager. What's the problem?

Information is key in reducing picking inaccuracies. Understand where your errors are coming from and what is causing them. Then take measures to eliminate the source of errors. All the ideas above have been used successfully across a wide variety of industries to increase outbound order accuracy without large capital outlays.

Few distribution center managers have the luxury of excess warehouse space that can be tapped whenever needed. Certainly the vast majority of DC personnel would claim they have a shortage rather than a surplus of space.

Being a supervisor in a fast-paced distribution center is a lot like being an airline pilot: Success is all in the approach.

There are several warning signs that your system may no longer be adequate, though the specific signals can vary by industry or the performance criteria that's most important to you.

Visual warehouse management is a lost art. Operations executives tend to get so caught up in technology that they overlook some of the common-sense solutions that allow for better visualization, whether they are receiving, processing, picking, packing or shipping. In most cases, small changes go a long way.

A front-line supervisor is a lot like the coach of an Olympic champion. Like Olympic champions, your employees need someone to train them, to observe them and to encourage them.

Recent studies show the available civilian workforce is projected to decrease through 2014 because of the retiring baby boomer generation. With this in mind, companies will face the loss of an experienced workforce and be compelled to replace them from a smaller, younger pool of available workers.

In an era of increased competition and the need by most organizations to reduce or control costs while maintaining or improving customer service, Optimized Performance solutions can represent a high payback/low risk opportunity to achieve these challenging goals.

While many companies set the bar according to past performance, the question is actually not how high the bar is or was, but how high it should be.

Distribution center managers are constantly trying to do more with less. However, they often overlook the advantages that can be gained from thinking more about where items are kept.

Busy DC and warehouse managers often observe that they are so busy putting out fires, they do not have the time to develop even a short-term plan. Developing a solid improvement plan requires an investment in time, but it will pay off in the long run.

Labor accounts for more than half of all distribution costs, but companies that utilize labor-management programs can realize big savings.

TZA has identified seven key principles it believes shippers should seek to improve their distribution productivity.

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