Cycle Count and Physical Inventory Design and Execution

Supply Chain Metrics

Replenishment of Forward Pick Locations

Warehouse Management Systems

Simulation in the Supply Chain

Choosing and Using a Consultant

Full Catalog

Precision Systems’ series of executive briefings and engineering guides respond to these issues.  They distill accumulated knowledge gained from many warehouses spread across many industries and nations into a single, concise form that can give operations, engineering and management a head start on their work.  They are designed to reduce the time needed to understand and evaluate technologies and, under some conditions, to eliminate or reduce the need for skilled staff specialists and consultants.  

Unlike publications from suppliers and other consultants, Precision Systems' are not veiled attempts to sell you something.  They contain easy-to-understand discussions and descriptions of processes in plain language, requiring only a modest level of skill and experience to apply.  They are accompanied by numerous examples and are heavily illustrated to speed comprehension.  Process descriptions and explanations are detailed enough so that a technician can proceed without further elaboration.

All Precision Systems’ documents are available in printed form and as PDF file downloads.  Brief synopses are free and can be downloaded from the catalog below.  To order, click as indicated in the catalog below.

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44 Pages

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This engineering guide is intended as an introduction to both kinds of inventory counting for senior management and process engineers in the logistics, distribution and warehousing industries. 

It explains what can and what cannot be accomplished with a program of cycle counting.  It describes how cycle counting should be structured and how it should fit into the organization.  It reviews the math required to determine the optimum level of cycle counting and lays out a sample cycle counting program that includes the training required, both for the workers who actually perform the counts and for the supervisors who direct them and use the results.

It also discusses the reasons why full physical inventories may be necessary, the problems associated with accuracy, and the circumstances under which they can be eliminated.  It reviews inventory-taking processes and discusses training and auditing requirements and can serve as a guide for the auditors and supervisors who specify and control the process.

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125 Pages

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Carousels are an appealing form of warehouse automation, capable of significantly increasing pick rates and, under some circumstances, of simultaneously reducing error rates and increasing space utilization.  However, they represent an important financial investment and, used incorrectly, can create significant problems.  Who can you trust to design and specify a carousel installation for your warehouse with assurance that the completed system will deliver promised gains?  Certainly not the equipment vendors who have built-in biases.  Probably not your existing staff unless your organization is large enough to employ full-time professional engineers.

This Engineering Guide will lead you and your staff through the processes and the math needed to work at arm’s length with a small group of vendors to arrive at a design and a project proposal that will actually work.  It further addresses the adaptation of used equipment to your operation and discusses the work needed to maintain an existing carousel installation at peak efficiency.  An Access database containing pre-defined tables and queries is included to illustrate the process and reduce the effort involved.

Click here for synopsis.  Click here to order

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This executive briefing reviews the theory of replenishment. It discusses when items should be replenished and when they should be picked directly from reserve stock.  It further discusses the handling and management of multiple reserve locations and of multiple forward locations.  The use of cascading replenishment and the practice of using replenishment facilities to manage items with highly-variable demand are both covered.  The result is a comprehensive review of the replenishment function that has the potential of both simplifying your operation and, at the same time, improving productivity.

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142 Pages

 Print $24.95

This executive briefing is written for the executive who is considering the installation of a warehouse management system in a currently un-automated supply chain.  It contains, however, a significant amount of information of value to those who have been through the process and are now in maintenance and operation mode and may have special value to those who are dissatisfied with their present system and are considering a replacement.

The remarks included in this briefing apply equally well whether you outsource all or part your supply chain, or whether you perform all functions internally.  Unless you have contracted with a 3PL for use of its warehouse management system, the issues faced, the processes required, and the costs and benefits are identical.  There are, of course, benefits to the 3PL of having a single system for all of its customers, but there are also benefits within a company of having a single system for all of its 3PLs.

 We begin with the purpose of warehouse management systems and a description of their costs and benefits.  The build-versus-buy choice is discussed.  Organizational impact and the short and long-term effect on your customers are described.  The briefing then moves into a detailed description of how to buy a WMS.  This description covers the project team that must be assembled, the marketplace for commercial systems, the types of systems available and how you should go about choosing among them, the creation of a Request for Proposal and the evaluation of RFP responses.  It also provides a methodology for justifying/funding a warehouse management system and concludes with discussions of system installation and maintenance.

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19 Pages

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This executive briefing is an introduction to the technology of computer simulation for middle and senior management in the logistics, distribution and warehousing industries.  It outlines capabilities and potentials at several levels and may also be of use to sales and marketing personnel.

Simulation technology is defined and explained.  Hardware and software requirements are reviewed and a brief history of simulation is presented along with examples of past successful use.  Then, with reference to the supply chain and the warehousing industry, possible uses of simulation are detailed in several modalities (purposes) and at several levels.

 The benefits of simulation as an analytical tool are reviewed, followed by a section that describes industrial lessons learned from failed simulation projects and the requirements for success that emerge from those lessons.  The briefing concludes with a short foray into the possible future of the technology.

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26 Pages

Digital $9.95

Ever used a consultant?  Ever had a problem with a consultant?  This executive briefing outlines tested and proven best practices in the selection of consultants and in the management of relationships with them.

Although there are risks, the risk of engaging a properly managed consultant is probably lower than the risk of hiring a new employee.

Choosing and Using a Consultant is intended for senior management in the logistics, distribution and warehousing industries.  It includes a model consulting contract and a model statement of ethics.

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67 Pages

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The problem is, what to measure?  How can the value of a measurement be balanced against the cost of performing it?  How can the needs of different organizations needing similar measures of the same thing be reconciled and their needs met efficiently? What issues are there in implementation?  How can redundant measures be simplified?

 This executive briefing discusses these questions and outlines a catalog of more than eighty measurements for consideration.  Some of the cataloged measurements are common, some are industry-specific, and some have unique and special purposes.  Each measurement is discussed in terms of its usefulness and application.  Implementation difficulties are reviewed and the executive is cautioned where inaccuracies may result from assumptions made by implementers.  A review of the list may suggest metrics that should be considered for implementation, may help users avoid the GIGO syndrome, and may reduce business complexity by pointing out duplication in existing work.