1100 Jorie Boulevard, Suite 170
Oak Brook, IL 60523
P: 630-990-0001
MMIKITKA@WERC.ORG
WWW.WERC.ORG
Please accept our best wishes for a productive and prosperous 2012 on behalf of
the Board and staff of the Warehousing Education and Research Council.
We certainly know from our members how challenging these past few years have
been, and we support and admire the innovation, persistence and optimism that
have been evidenced in so many ways.
WERC was founded by forward-thinking folks who realized the critical importance
that the role of warehousing/logistics holds in the supply chain. They also knew the
skill and knowledge that a well-run facility requires—and they wanted recognition
for their professionalism.
In the 35 ensuing years, WERC continues to hold to those values and to
promote the professionalism of the industry and those who work in it.
And we are proud to do so.
As the recognized leader in education and research for the warehouse
and logistics management field, WERC focuses on advancing the art
and science of warehousing/logistics and driving the warehouse profession
to new levels. In this role, WERC is committed to spreading the word about
the hard work and dedicated people who keep the distribution system running smoothly, efficiently
and economically. The development and delivery of a set of standards and tools for grading warehouse
operations is a part of this effort to continue to support our members and the industry.
The WERC Warehouse Certification Program is the industry’s first and only best-practice certification. It
certifies an individual warehouse facility’s capabilities and its ability to perform core warehousing functions.
The program provides an industry standard grading methodology that includes facility inspections
and process assessments by independent third party auditors who benchmark and grade warehouse
operations against a 5-point scale.
The WERC Certification Program offers a qualitative review that focuses on how work is done. This is
an improvement over benchmarking studies that focus solely on quantitative metrics such as fill rate,
on-time shipments or inventory accuracy. The advantages of WERC’s qualitative approach are:
Scoring against a 5-point scale allows you to know exactly how you stack up against the
suggested industry standards for warehousing
Concrete, practical, actionable benchmarks
An approach that provides a holistic, comprehensive review
Audit based on warehousing industry standards vetted by industry pros
I encourage you to check out the many facilities that have already achieved this prestigious certification
and see if it is a program for your facility as well.
WERC looks forward to another year of serving our members and the industry.
Michael J. Mikitka, CAE
