Ackerman's take.(Ken Ackerman)(Brief Article)(Interview)

Ken Ackerman is a consultant with his own firm, The Ackerman Co., based in Columbus, OH. Here, Ackerman gives his views on a number of topics getting lots of attention in warehousing lately

Q What trends are emerging in warehousing today?

A The most dominant trend we're seeing is the constant pressure to reduce order-cycle time. There are less and less warehouses running on a 40-hour, five-day per-week schedule, and more and more running two and three shifts, on a 24/7 schedule-open around the clock.

Another big trend is toward outsourcing. There i