Distribution Center Management
Choose Covenant for Flexible, Customized Distribution Center Management
DCM Success = Supply Chain Success
What’s required for warehouse and distribution center success? Experience. Efficiency. Excellence. Covenant delivers these qualities and more, in a full-service, flexible distribution center management solution you can trust. We customize and flex to fit precisely what you need to streamline and optimize distribution, saving you time and money, and ensuring your customers receive complete orders — on time and in full.
How can we help you?
For 35 years, Covenant has provided customers with trusted, reliable transportation and logistics services. Along the way, customers have turned to the company not only for its strong driver network and dedicated carrier fleet, but also for its customer-centric business model and commitment to continuous improvement. Covenant's extension of warehouse services creates a "one-stop-shop" resource for customers seeking full supply chain solutions. Ask us for an operations assessment and we'll show you what we can do for you.
Get an Operations AssessmentWhat is Distribution Center Management?
Distribution center management encompasses various warehousing aspects such as inventory control, practices for sorting products, managing fleets, implementing sales strategies, ensuring employee safety, handling data, and more. To establish effective distribution center strategies, it is crucial to have the right technology and partner in place to seamlessly integrate your distribution center's components into a comprehensive platform.
TALK TO AN EXPERTDISTRIBUTION CENTER PROCESSES
Covenant has a long track record of innovation and success in distribution center management. We can locate, configure, equip, staff, and operate a standalone distribution center anywhere in the U.S. We are a one-stop shop for logistics, transportation, and warehousing and can help you with the following:
- Warehouse and inventory management
- Order processing and fulfillment
- Light manufacturing assembly
- Cross-docking
- Specialty operations such as kitting and packing
- Reverse logistics
- Service parts management
- Yard management and trailer slotting
- Supplier management
- Contract labor
- Pool distribution
- E-commerce
In addition to these physical warehouse services, Covenant offers advanced warehouse management software (WMS) technology solutions — including a user-friendly dashboard providing supply chain, inventory, and KPI visibility — and advanced robotics.
The company also provides specialized distribution center services, such as those required for HAZMAT, pharmaceutical, and frozen inventory. Covenant’s distribution centers can be food-grade certified and are FDA/FMSA-compliant. Further, the company excels at supporting custom requirements, such as inbound raw materials, buffer warehousing, kitting and assembly, light manufacturing, as well as pick and pack operations.
Distribution Center Management Key Outcomes
Every warehouse is unique in its processes and needs. That’s why we customize every contract warehousing solution to provide precisely what’s needed and what can help you achieve even more. Some of the outcomes of letting Covenant manage your distribution center include the following:
- New ways of organizing, leading to cost and time savings
- Optimizing your operation procedures for maximum efficiency
- Tracking and managing your warehouse with the latest technology and industry best practices
- Experience recruiters that know how to mavigate the labor market
- Contingency planning to handle inventory fluctuations
- Use of predictive analytics to create solutions that address your specific requirements in ways that drive value and set you up for long-term success
- Access to additional trucking and site capacity when needed
- Continuous improvement. Our commitment to continuous improvement ensures that we are always seeking ways to save you time and money.
- Much more
Challenges in Distribution Center Management
If you have any distribution center management experience, you know it is no easy task. The two most challenging categories are day-to-day operations and data or system management.
A distribution center's day-to-day operations encompass many tasks like:
- Staffing
- Expanding your product base
- Maintaining vehicles and warehouse equipment
- Organizing inventory
- Tracking route and product
- Ensuring you are meeting all certification and safety requirements
- Keeping up to date with the latest changes in laws and policies that may affect you
Each of these aspects presents its own set of unique challenges. For instance:
- Ensuring product integrity and avoiding loss or damage
- Prioritizing driver safety and well-being
- Maintaining product qualilty with retailers
- Monitoring drivers to ensure timely deliveries
Let's talk about the all-important driving factor of any operation: Data. Managing the system and data of a distribution center revolves around selecting the appropriate system and utilizing it to its full potential. But how do you know which is best for you, and how do you even get started?
Distribution center and warehouse management systems are specifically designed to simplify the complexities of running a distribution center. These systems should offer intuitive interfaces and comprehensive functionality, serving all-in-one platforms that streamline the management process. Our team of experts knows what's out there, and they can help you find the right tool for your unique needs.
Understanding Distribution Center Costs
Yes, there are many benefits to managing your own distribution center, like managing your supply chain from start to finish, low to no outsourcing costs, controlling your own data reports, managing your own fleets, etc.
However, all of those things take time, planning, and money.
- Time = Money
- Planning = Money
- Money = Money
You limit your potential to grow because you are handling so many responsibilities.
With the right warehouse management partner, you can let go of most of those responsibilities and focus more on growing your business and reaching your next goal. Your distribution center management partner should also help you develop the right plan to achieve those goals in the most cost-effective and timely way possible.
3 Distribution Center Best Practices
Whether you are ready to establish a new distribution center or wish to switch to a DCM partner that offers adaptive, customized logistics solutions centered around your business, strategy and vision, Covenant wants to talk to you. Connect with us below.
Contact US
Case Studies
Needs
- Temperature-controlled, food grade DC
- Integrated DCM and shuttle operation
- Onsite manufacturing support
- Cloud-based, real-time metrics & reporting visibility
- Process control
Covenant Solution
- 700,000 SQ FT across 3 operations
- Covenant WMS
- 15 tractors, 29 drivers, 102 trailers
- Ambient and temp-controlled food-grade DC
- Pharmaceutical handling certification
- Continuous improvement tracker
- Quality control and management
- Product kitting and packing
Results
- 30% Headcount reduction within 1 year
- 1 Single integrated provider
- Seamless startup
- Scalable solution with growth
- Now the #1 operating facility in their entire network!
Needs
- Inbound raw materials warehouse
- Strict quality requirements
- Temperature control food-grade warehouse management
- Quarter and year-end volume fluctuations
- High on-time service requirements
Covenant Solution
- 500,000 sq. ft. food-grade certified warehouse
- 28 Yard/shuttle drivers
- 16 warehouse associates
- 8 shuttle/spotting tractors
- 88 Dedicated fleet tractors
- 92 Dedicated drivers
- 370 Dry vans
- 25 Reefers
- 8 – security guard shack / drop lot coordinators
Results
- Consistent performance
- Quality control and management
- Inventory control and visibility
- 98% on-time delivery
- Seamless transition and startup
Suggested Reading
Get Started
Contact Us
We’d like to hear about your logistics and transportation needs so we can discuss ways Covenant can help address your supply chain needs.