WERC 2012 conference:
Ideas for better warehouse
management
AS THE LINEUP OF EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS AT THE UPCOMING
Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) annual conference makes clear, warehouses and distribution centers are important
players not only in a company’s supply chain but also in its overall
business success.
The program at the event, scheduled for May 6–9 in Atlanta, covers
both operational and general management topics. Attendees seeking
practical advice can choose from sessions on improving warehouse
productivity without “Tier 1” technology, customizing warehouse layout and
design, working with temporary help,
and operating a smaller facility, to name
just a few. The agenda also includes
broader management sessions that address big-picture concerns like
legal issues, multichannel supply chains, and the future of warehouse
automation.
Two standing-room-only sessions are on the agenda again this year.
On Monday, May 7, Dr. Karl B. Manrodt of Georgia Southern
University and Kate L. Vitasek, founder of the consulting firm Supply
Chain Visions, will discuss the results of DC VELOCITY’S annual survey
on warehouse metrics. On Tuesday, May 8, the entertaining “Beer ’n
Bull” session (“festive yet erudite,” according to WERC) returns with
fun facts about warehousing and beer.
HEAR—AND SEE—THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS
One reason to attend conferences is to learn from those who have
achieved great success. There’ll be no shortage of such opportunities at
WERC 2012, with speakers representing respected companies like
Samsung Electronics, John Deere, Wal-mart Stores, Lowe’s Companies,
and Adidas Group.
Attendees will also be able to get out and see some of the Atlanta
area’s best-run warehouses and distribution centers for themselves.
Facility tours will include inside looks at how National Distribution
Co., Turner Field and Aramark, The Coca-Cola Co., Staples, Pep
Boys, Luxottica Retail, and Alcon (a division of Novartis) run their
operations.
A concurrent exhibition, WIRE (the Warehousing Industry
Resources Event), will showcase warehousing products and services,
including material handling equipment, picking systems, and software.
Attendees can visit more than 50 exhibitors’ booths and watch tech-
nology and equipment in action at the daily “Demo Stage.”
For all the details and to register for the conference, go to
www.werc.org/events/2012_conference.aspx. ;
April 2–4
Organized by the Supply Chain Council, Supply
Chain World North America 2012 in Miami will
focus on the theme “Taking Supply Chains to
the Next Level: A Shift to Integrative Thinking.”
The agenda includes presentations by executives
from Accenture, Anheuser Busch, DuPont, and
Dell. ( www.supplychainworld.org)
April 3
Engineering the Warehouse, a continuing education course from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, will
address how to manage the tradeoffs between
space and time when designing a facility.
( www.pe.gatech.edu/courses/engineering-warehouse)
April 12–13
Gain an in-depth understanding of the
Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism
(C-TPAT) program at the Global Trade
Academy’s C-TPAT Workshop in Los Angeles.
( http://c-tpattraining.info/)
April 18–20
Field-tested techniques will be the focus of
Warehouse and Distribution Layout, a three-day
seminar presented by the University of Kansas. The
course will be held in Kansas City, Mo. ( www.con-tinuinged.ku.edu/programs/warehouse/)
April 23–25
Supply chain thought leaders will gather at the
CSCMP Europe 2012 Conference in Frankfurt,
Germany, to discuss the processes companies
must master to compete successfully in today’s
marketplace. ( http://cscmp.org/events/europe-conference/ index.asp)
April 28–May 1
The National Private Truck Council’s 2012
Annual Education Management Conference
and Exhibition in Cincinnati will include educational sessions on CSA, driver recruiting and
retention strategies, and lean management technologies and initiatives. ( www.nptc.org)
