Once your team has decided that cross docking may be beneficial for your facility it is crucial to evaluate whether or not your facility, as it currently stands, can handle the change in traffic. Cross docking differs from the typical store and ship scenario in that little to no storage occurs in this process. Inventory items are typically received into a facility and unloaded into a loading dock area. Instead of putting the inventory into a storage location, the inventory will be staged and loaded for immediate shipment. Because this process takes up more space in the loading area and will affect current processes, evaluating the state of your operations is the next logical step.
Your team must evaluate the facility including assets, space and automation tools available. Next, consider what business processes must change and how to change these, as well as how to communicate these changes to your team. Lastly, look into the capabilities of your current technology. Can your systems perform the needed functions to adopt cross docking or will there be additional costs to implement?
To learn more about cross docking or how to prepare your facility for cross docking contact the logistics experts at Datex today at www.datexcorp.com or at 800.933.2839.