Distribution Centres and Warehousing
Distribution centers are the foundation of a supply network, as they allow a single location to stock a vast number of products. Some organizations operate both retail distribution and direct-to-consumer out of a single facility, sharing space, equipment, labour resources, and inventory as applicable.
Main aim
Goods and items should be stored and shipped in a manner that encompasses aspects such as availability, proper hygienic storage(prevention of expired or items getting infected) and most importantly effectiveness which will lead to minimising time taken to load, offload, store and transport the relief kits to their final destination.
Location: ➢ 2 Suitable locations- • Japan- South and Central • South Korea- Seoul
We have chosen to form a global partnership with a third part logistics (3PL) provider called Kintetsu World Express, which is based in Japan, but also has offices and warehouses around the world. Kintetsu world express has cutting edge distribution centres and warehouses facilities which are equipped with global logistics systems. They also boast specialised freight and factory equipment and they handle a wide range of products from electronic goods to delicates such as thorough bred horses. In relation to our needs they specialise in health care logistics when it comes to certification, handling and storage.(KWE, 2011) We are going to use their existing distribution and warehousing facilities in Narita and Baraki, Japan which is just below Tokyo. Although these parts were affected by the earthquakes, the only obstacle lies within the land transport system where roads are heavily congested with aid to and fro. We are also going to use its warehousing facilities in Kyoto, Tokyo and further down south in Nagoya and Osaka. Additionally to add more depth and efficiency to our services we are also going to use Kintetsu’s distribution centres in Seoul and Busan in
References: Bertorello, C 2001, The Five Most Common Mistakes when Planning a Distribution Center, Cygnus Supply Demand Chain. Accessed April 1 2011. http://www.sdcexec.com/online/article.jsp?siteSection=15&id=10676&pageNum=1 Jaecques, T 2002, Logistics Planning, Buildings. Accessed March 24, 2011. Kentetsu World Express (KWE) 2011, Global Logistics Partner. Accessed March 26, 2011 < http://www.kwe.com/> National Wooden Pallets and Container Association 2011. Accessed March 15,2011. < http://www.palletcentral.com/>