{"id":13343,"date":"2019-02-05T10:10:59","date_gmt":"2019-02-05T10:10:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/?p=13343"},"modified":"2025-07-28T07:39:45","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T07:39:45","slug":"assess-warehouse-business-planning-logistics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/3pl\/assess-warehouse-business-planning-logistics\/","title":{"rendered":"Assess your Warehouse Business Planning and Logistics Needs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>The start of a New Year is the ideal time to conduct a company health check. <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">It makes so much sense to review the progress of your company and identify how you can make the most of the market position you&#8217;ve established and decide how to improve your business and how to take it to the next level. You will need to revisit and update your business plan with your new improvement plan in mind and make sure you deliver these new improvements in a timely manner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><!--more--><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">\u2018GOV.UK\/Business\u2019 advise in their original document, \u2018Review your business performance\u2019, that there are some questions that you need to ask yourself to initiate your assessment:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">What&#8217;s my direction? Planning for Brexit?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">What are my markets &#8211; now and in the future? EU and\/or the world?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">How do I gain market advantage? Investment in AI robotics?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">What resources do I require to succeed? Where necessary, are you utilising 3PL solutions to outsource elements of the company&#8217;s distribution, warehousing, and fulfillment services?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">What business environment am I competing in? Macro? Micro?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">How am I measuring success? Is it exclusively the balance sheet?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">This introspective analysis will lead you to focus upon your key core business delivery mechanisms, specifically targeting the efficiency and effectiveness of your warehousing and logistics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Jason Tindley (of Logistics Planning Consultants) in his article, \u2018What To Include In A Warehouse &amp; Logistics Improvement Plan\u2019, suggests implementing a warehouse and logistics improvement plan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">He states the obvious that your warehouse is the hub of your supply chain and arguably it\u2019s most important part, but it does not exist in isolation. No strategy to improve your warehouse will succeed without simultaneously looking at how it fits in with other elements of your logistics operation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Jason stresses that when finished, this plan will give you a complete overview of your business as it stands, helping you understand your strengths, weak spots and opportunities. However, a good improvement strategy will be more than a snapshot of your current supply chain. It will also provide a blue print for adaptation, expansion and change management.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Here are some of his simple steps you can take to make a start today:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>\u201c1) Evaluate your Current Operation<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>The first step on the road to improvement is taking a cold, hard look at your current facilities and processes. Create an accurate floor plan of your warehouse, showing layout and storage facilities. You should then take an inventory of all your equipment and vehicles, including your logistics fleet. Next comes an HR assessment. Work backwards from processes rather than people. Set out all your current warehouse processes and procedures, then link them to staff responsibilities and finally to named individuals. This will give you a comprehensive overview of all your resources and capacities.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>2) Determine your Inventory Requirements<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>Next, assess your stock and inventory needs. Make a note of your current volumes of stock, where it is stored and your current stock turn. Tie this in with the previous step, where you will have already analysed your ordering, material handling and storage processes. How do you accurately assess inventory stock turn? How do you store and manage warehouse data? Comparing your resources with the needs of your business allows you to progress to stages three and four, where you identify weaknesses and opportunities.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>3) Identify Gaps in Capacity<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>You should now be able to see where your weaknesses are, i.e. where your resources fail to meet your inventory and throughput requirements. Identifying your weaknesses is a positive step, as each weakness presents an opportunity for improvement. List all your areas for improvement and prioritise them in order of importance. You may find your infrastructure needs upgrading, or you may need to reorganise your warehouse layout, or implement changes in or procure a new WMS.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>4) Identify Opportunities for Change<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>Analyse your current processes and procedures. To what extent do they enable you to reach your business goals, and to what extent do they contribute to the weaknesses you have identified? Can improvements be made? You may be able to find alternative solutions that allow you to save costs or reduce errors. Many businesses include a plan for reorganising their workforce; improving productivity and setting out guidelines to support their warehouse team achieve their KPIs.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>5) Determine the Cost of Improvement<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>Steps three and four will yield many opportunities for change. However, what do all these improvements cost you and what return will you get on each? When considering the total cost, analyse each improvement qualitatively and quantitatively. For instance:<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>How much will the improvements cost?<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>How much time will they take?<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>How much is this time worth in monetary terms?<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Will productivity be impacted while improvements take place?<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Is there a risk of inventory damage?<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>Is there a risk that your service levels will be adversely affected during the change and what is that cost?<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>What are the health and safety implications?<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>How will you adjust to the changes?<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong>How will the improvement plan be managed, and by who?<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>6) Review Your Plans<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>Having considered the financial and qualitative impact on your business, you can now look back and review your plans if necessary. Prioritise the improvements you want to make first and shelve any that are impractical. For each change, note the impact on space, personnel, procedures, productivity and equipment, with all associated time and monetary costs.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><strong><em>After you have worked through the six steps, you will be ready to create a formal Warehouse and Logistics Improvement Plan, for your supply chain.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Don\u2019t hesitate \u2026 Assess : Identify : Act<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">2019 is the New Year to identify your warehouse logistics solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Whichwarehouse \u2026 Enable : Facilitate : Deliver.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The Whichwarehouse directory has an established network of experienced and professional third party logistics and warehouse providers covering locations throughout the UK and Ireland. We can assist with your logistics requests for anything from self-storage to pallet or bulk storage through to a complete supply chain solution for your products, even delivering to the end user. The facilities included in our network provide storage and distribution services for general and bulk goods, hazardous and pharmaceutical products, items subject to Duty and VAT deferment as well as general self-storage units.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Our members are able to offer a complete commercial storage and logistics solution including distribution and forwarding, RH&amp;D, order picking, stock control, re-working and re-kitting, EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and PDI (Pre delivery inspection). Some have available outside space for vehicle parking or external storage requirements and many warehouses have dock levellers, temperature control facilities, operate forklifts and most warehouse facilities are fully secure with CCTV and alarm systems.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-color\" style=\"color: #ff9900; text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">If you need to find storage space or a 3PL provider please click on the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/find-space.html\">FIND SPACE<\/a><\/strong> button on our welcome page and use the map to search for current available solutions or for assistance in any way, please contact us on <strong>0800 1707555.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The start of a New Year is the ideal time to conduct a company health check. It makes so much sense to review&#8230;&nbsp;<span class=\"cmtcnt\">0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[91],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13343"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13343\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.whichwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}