May 28, 2018 - DJ Products

Tips for Moving Your Supply Chain into the World of Digital

Moving to the Digital Domain

Digital technology has touched every part of our lives, so it’s no surprise that supply chain management is embracing this transformation. As consumers continue to demand faster delivery times, technology can streamline every step of the process, from forecasting seasonal demand to managing terminal tractors.

What Is Digital Business?

As explained by IT research and advisory firm Gartner, digital business refers to new business designs that combine the digital and physical worlds. A recent study by Gartner found that digital business is second only to the cloud in terms of top investment areas.

Technology provides the means to gather unprecedented amounts of data. Digital business requires an ability to connect directly with customers and partners in order to access, extract and analyze relevant information.

Benefits of Supply Chain Digitalization

– Real-time updates for inventory and freight are readily available.

– Decision-making is more accurate thanks to a greater understanding of supply and demand.

– Companies have the flexibility to respond immediately to sudden changes or disruptions.

Making the Move to Digital

Digitization involves much more than simply overlaying digital apps over current processes. In order to realize the full power of digital, it’s important to examine core processes in terms of how they support digital and align them accordingly.

According to Gartner, although most C-suite leaders believe digital disruptions are inevitable in the near future, only 25 percent of them have a digital strategy in place. As a result, Gartner recommends that businesses make it a priority to develop short- and long-term plans to incorporate digital into their supply chain.

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Small Aircraft Hangars Become Market Investments

Can a Hangar Investment Make You Cash?

Could you need an aircraft caddy sometime in the near future? The subleasing of hangar space is on the rise, and increasingly popular, due to the potential to operate space without the building and management headaches.

Space for Rent
So-called ‘condominium’ hangar space and long-term prepaid hangar leases offer a great return-on-investment. Depreciating (for tax purposes) and resalable, they offer sky-high earnings potential, with areas near airports showcasing a strong demand for space, as these companies attest:

Ribeiro Companies
Ribeiro Companies’ Quail Air Center offers hangar space adjacent to Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport. Outfitted offsite, tenants taxi aircraft though security gates to runways. Buy outright, rent or sublease. Alongside available hangar and office space for rent, Quail offers not-for-profit ground-support services. Tenant-only fuel services offer substantial savings: Enough for some frequent-flyers to pay for hangar space. Also in the works: Two-upcoming projects: Henderson Quail Commercial Aviation Center and Henderson Quail Air Center.

Ascend Development
Ascend’s $100-million, prepaid hangar project, 68-miles north of New York City where the cost of living is low, is second to its already operational SanFran Hayward Air Terminal. It will feature luxury accommodations, optional office space, and long-term 40+ year leases. Area airports will provide all fuel and ground services. With scarce land and fewer airports being erected, demand (and value) are expected to rise.

Premier Jet Facility
This McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California spans 15-acres, including 19-hangars offered on a 30-year, prepaid-lease basis. An FBO, it offers special fuel pricing, sub-leasing opportunities, and the potential to operate your business via office space available at the facility.

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Tips for Diversifying the Number of Your Truckload Carriers

With more than 200,000 for-hire full-truckload carriers in the U.S., it seems there are enough providers to keep semi trailer movers hopping. But available capacity is subject to a number of fluid factors, which could suddenly leave you in a bind without proper planning.

Experts say your best bet is to diversify suppliers among large- and small-asset carriers. Here are their top suggestions for optimizing this approach.

Align Supply Chain Segments with Provider Goals

Many carriers are implementing yield management tools to maximize revenue opportunities without overburdening drivers. As a result, there is little flexibility to accept jobs that don’t fit their lane and volume requirements.

High volume alone is sometimes not enough incentive for carriers. Look for providers whose goals are compatible with your different needs.

Leverage the 80-20 Rule

If your business is like most, 80 percent of load volume is in 20 percent of lanes. The challenge becomes addressing the other 20 percent of load volume that’s in 80 percent of lanes.

Approximately 97 percent of carriers in the U.S. have fleets of 20 or fewer trucks. These smaller providers have the elasticity to handle demand spikes, niche locations and other features of the 20 percent volume.

Engage a Third-Party Logistics Provider

Portfolios with multiple carriers benefit the big picture, but they’re difficult to manage on a day-to-day basis. A third-party logistics provider (3PL) consolidates the process so you’re working with a single source rather than several.

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Six Tips for Keeping Your Warehouse Clean

No matter how advanced your warehouse equipment is, that’s only part of the equation for improved productivity. A clean warehouse makes work processes more efficient and reduces down time due to workplace injuries.

Here’s a helpful list of the top tips for keeping your warehouse neat and organized.

Set a Consistent Schedule

When you let laundry and dirty dishes pile up at home, you end up with monumental tasks that are tedious and time-consuming. The same is true with warehouse cleaning. Establish a schedule of daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly tasks based on importance to the work flow.

Empty Trash Bins Regularly

The trash room is a hot spot for injuries. Make sure bins are emptied before they become overloaded.

Establish a Clean-As-You-Go Policy

Don’t let employees get in the habit of putting off cleanup until “later,” which never comes. A task or project shouldn’t be considered finished until any mess is tidied up.

Assign Cleaning Zone Responsibilities

Does productivity slow down during shift changes, when oncoming workers have to clean up the mess left behind by the previous group? Give each employee a specific area to be maintained before clocking out every day.

Provide Cleaning Supplies

Employees shouldn’t have to waste valuable time hunting for brooms, paper towels or other supplies. Keep an adequate stock on hand and conveniently available.

Keep Inventory Turning

Outdated stock creates a cluttered appearance and makes warehouse cleaning unnecessarily difficult.

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Considerations for Safety and Ergonomics with Using Flexible Conveyors in Your Warehouse

Flexible conveyors are valuable pieces of warehouse equipment that reduce the amount of manual handling required during day-to-day operations. The conveyors are often used in areas such as the gap between a truck and a dock where a permanent system isn’t practical.

Make sure you get the full benefits of flexible conveyors by implementing these safety tips.

Enforce Use of the Flexible Conveyor

While flexible conveyors make their jobs easier, employees may still resist using them. Some people won’t see the value of flexible conveyors, and others simply object to change of any kind. Use of the conveyors shouldn’t be an optional part of the job.

Establish a Training Program

Flexible conveyors aren’t complicated, but there are specific procedures that allow maximum productivity and safety. Institute employee training covering issues such as total weight capacity and locking and unlocking casters. This is also a good way to educate workers on the advantages of conveyors.

Perform Regular Maintenance

As with all warehouse equipment, flexible conveyors need regular maintenance to ensure top performance. At a minimum, follow the manufacturer’s recommended schedule.

Follow Basic Safety Rules

– Make sure clothes, jewelry and hair are kept clear of the conveyor at all times.

– Once the conveyor is positioned for use, lock the casters down.

– Take care to keep fingers and hands out of rollers, skatewheels and side links.

– When transitioning from dock to trailer, use of a dock plate should be mandatory. Be sure to pull the conveyor onto the plate from the front.

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Summer Warehouse Pests – What to Look Out for in June and July

Warehouses are prime targets for invading pests. Insects, birds, and rodents wreak costly havoc on large structures. In the warmer months of June and July, pests can sully workspaces and quality warehouse equipment. Rodent infestation is an especially worrisome problem and has been accountable for spreading more than 50 known diseases. Implementing common sense safeguards can ensure your employees and your investments remain secure.

Safeguard Quality Workers and Warehouse Equipment

Protecting your employees and safeguarding quality machinery like those offered by DJ Products is important to the success of your business. Pests climb into the electrical portions of warehouse equipment and gnaw or loosen wiring. When pests attack, chances of workspace equipment accruing damage grows.

Pest problems decrease your bottom line and increase the potential for a bad review. You can safeguard your workers and the warehouse equipment they use by investing in a time-tested pest control regimen. Daily diligence promotes ideal working conditions.

One way to ensure pests don’t eat up your products or profits is by thoroughly checking key areas. Below are some warehouse areas birds, rodents, and insects love to hide in:

– HVAC Systems

– Loading Docks

– Overhead Doors/Rafters

– Hole-ridden Pipes

– Wooden Pallets

– Dumpster areas

– Warehouse Equipment

Safety Tips

Advising employees to look before they grab products or move waste bins can have a positive and instant effect. Utilizing DJ Products that alleviate potential for injuries like dumpster movers decreases the likelihood pest contact points occur. Receiving scratches or bites from pests such as mice/rats may result in infection.

Premium machinery also saves warehouse workers from unnecessary muscle strain. Multi-functioning equipment lowers on-the-job injuries by acting as “middle-man” to promote safer, more efficient working conditions.

Safeguarding against pests or pain, DJ Products can help your warehouse stay professional!

Five Tips to Turn Your Warehouse into a Clean and Organized Space

Housekeeping isn’t just for your home. Clutter and debris in the workplace can negatively impact employee productivity and efficient performance of warehouse equipment while increasing risk of injury.

Don’t let good cleaning practices get lost in the hectic rush of day-to-day operations. Here are some expert tips to keep your warehouse organized and clutter-free.

Establish a Cleaning Schedule

Take a week to analyze operations and determine areas where clutter tends to accumulate. Pay careful attention to loading docks, workstations and other high-traffic spots.

If it’s within your budget, consider hiring an outside cleaning service. Otherwise, create a specific list of cleaning tasks and add them to the daily, weekly or monthly schedule where appropriate. Keep cleaning supplies in strategic locations for employees’ convenience.

Use the Right Warehouse Management Software

When workflows are poorly organized, it’s reflected in a cluttered and messy warehouse. Effective warehouse management software optimizes productivity and eliminates inefficient procedures.

Evaluate Warehouse Floor Plan and Storage

Do warehouse aisles, workstations and storage areas follow a logical set-up? Minimize clutter with a floor plan that reduces employee travel time and eliminates traffic bottlenecks.

Streamline Picking and Order Fulfillment Procedures

Implement a picking method that’s best suited for your business and organize inventory accordingly. Keep warehouse equipment located in proximity to bulkier items.

Eliminate Slow-Moving Items

SKUs that don’t turn do nothing more than take up space that’s better used for more profitable items. Assess your product line and look for opportunities to remove items that don’t meet an acceptable turnover rate.

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In 2018 Intermodal Services between Semi and Rail are Set to Grow

Over 2018-2019, intermodal services between semi and rail are expected to grow between 6-9%. Although these services have potentially positive potential, they are not without challenges. Determining new ways to optimize today’s intermodal services is key.

Idiosyncrasies of Intermodal Services to Watch:

Driver Pay
Though a favored position for drivers who can return home each night, dray pay is lower than other delivery types, and must be carefully evaluated to avoid the loss of superior drivers to shared labor pools with better income opportunities.

Inventory Management
With shippers looking to consistent and reliable delivery in choosing carriers, tighter inventory control measures are necessary to offset the shipping times of reliable, but typically longer, intermodal services.

Higher Rates and Tighter Capacity
Higher rates and tighter capacity are making manpower and efficiency boosters like smart inventory management systems and electronic semi trailer movers more important than ever before. A team outlook, aligning your goals with those of your clients, can offer huge payoffs here, helping you retain your position as a favored shipper in today’s dog eat dog world of freight transportation.

Changing Service Times Due to ELDs
With intermodal services, typically the closer to ramps at pickup and destination, the more reasonable rates will be. Though still true today, electronic logging devices (ELDs) remain a wrench in the works, resulting in some types of fright taking longer to transport than ever before.

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Beyond the Dumpster: The Recycling Challenge

The average American generates more than four pounds of trash per day. At that rate, it’s not surprising that employees need a powered dumpster mover to transport loads of waste products.

Despite the increase in eco-awareness, the U.S. still faces a serious trash problem that extends far beyond the dumpster on your property. What are the challenges to reducing the amount of landfill waste, and how can you contribute to the solution?

How Did We Get Here?

Short-sighted policies of decades past led to today’s problems. Land was seen as an almost unlimited resource, and in the “land of plenty” people became accustomed to easy disposability.

The negative environmental impact of landfills extends far and wide due to greenhouse gas pollution. Organic materials, largely from food waste, emit methane, which is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide. At this point, little is being done to capture methane emissions or eliminate them altogether.

Finding a Solution

Perhaps the U.S. can take its cues on waste reduction from other developed countries that have been more successful. For example, Germany has a recycling rate of 62 percent, nearly double the rate in the U.S., which is attributed to standardized laws throughout the country.

Here are some policies you can incorporate in your workplace:

– Make sure that all trash cans have an adjacent recycling bin.

– Include compost bins so food can be disposed of properly.

– Get tips and suggestions from your waste management company.

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Surfacing New Waste Management Trends for 2018

What interesting cargo might your dumpster mover be hauling? As more environmentally-responsible ways of disposing waste come into the spotlight, dumpsters are becoming increasingly dedicated to transporting specialized loads.

2018 Trends in the Waste Management Industry
As government mandates regarding waste handling continue to change, waste management containers and disposal operations likewise evolve:

Recycling Systems for Safer Plastics
The phase-out of previously popular plastic packing materials such as polystyrene foam and shopping bags in communities nationwide due to environmental concerns has led to safer plastic options, such as polylactic acid resins. However these safer, biodegradable plastics require special handling to ensure they compost correctly. This is prompting municipal waste and recycling centers to put the proper systems in-place to ensure successful disposal.

New Methods for Sourcing Energy from Organic Waste
Anaerobic digestion technology, which uses food and other biodegradable waste as a means to produce energy, is under development in California. Used in Sacramento to process 100+ tons of organic matter daily. If its success continues, it is expected to spread eastward.

More Responsible Handling of E-Waste
Today’s glut of gadgetry requires constant upgrades, creating an increasing amount of electronic waste. As this issue becomes part of a broader discussion both nationally and globally, municipal and retailer recycling programs are expected to increase in prevalence.

Conscientious Disposal of Demolition Debris
Dumpster movers toting demolition debris are increasingly at-risk of hauling dangerous products, prompting the need to foster awareness of items that are treacherous to toss, from batteries and electronics, to cleaners, solvents, pesticides, and car fluids.

You’re careful about what goes into your waste containers, are you careful about how you transport them? Ensure the health and safety of employees and cargo with a dumpster mover from DJ Products today.

Day: May 28, 2018