Package Handling
DCS’s design and engineering team has more than 40 years of experience creating unique parcel handling systems for diverse customer applications. With installations including semi-automated handling in small city distribution centers and fully automated, integrated hubs with advanced conveyor and sorter equipment, DCS routinely thinks outside the box.
E-Commerce and Multi-Channel Fulfillment
DCS designs and implements end-to-end warehouse automation solutions for e-commerce and multi-channel retailers that address numerous workflow challenges. This includes solutions for receiving, putaway, storage, replenishment, order fulfillment, picking, packing, sortation, and outbound shipping. Our custom integrated warehouse, distribution, and fulfillment systems draw from a deep pool of conventional, semi-automated, and automated material handling technologies.
Various Distribution Applications
Whether an operation is considering the construction of a new distribution or fulfillment center, or a retrofit or expansion of an existing facility, it’s important to create a solution that fits the overarching supply chain strategy. DCS has four decades of experience designing and integrating comprehensive, end-to-end material handling solutions that meet a multitude of operational goals. Whether conventional, semi-automated, or fully automated, DCS can help your organization implement a custom solution that meets its goals while maximizing return on investment (ROI).
Supply Chain Consulting
The DCS Supply Chain Consulting team offers a range of services to help your operations address the challenges it faces. Working in partnership with you, DCS consultants analyze your business data- existing workforce, workflow processes, inventory, order data, operations, and more- to determine a strategy that addresses your unique needs. Whether you need an operations assessment, process improvement recommendations, or distribution design services, DCS consultants will help guide you to the material handling system or operational solution that best meets your current and future needs, as well as your budget.
Customer Support
Keeping your warehouse operations and material handling systems running smoothly and at the peak of productivity are the goals of DCS’ Customer Service Team. By partnering with DCS, your warehouse automation solution is supported from commissioning to end of life. You’ll receive comprehensive in-house training of your personnel, including specialized training of your designated internal system expert. Plus, DCS offers a complete package of spare parts and expert system troubleshooting support from qualified engineers dedicated to your installation.
System Design & Integration
DCS offers a broad range of material handling equipment and automated system design, installation, and integration services for a multitude of projects. These include retrofits, expansions, upgrades, and more. While every project is unique, our system design and execution processes are the same, encompassing meticulous attention to detail, frequent communication, and a dedicated partnership with our clients.
About Us
Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) has 40 years of experience serving major clients in multiple industries by providing material handling, full-scale warehouse operations, and conveyor design solutions that are custom crafted for their needs. DCS does not sell ready-made conveyor systems but builds relationships that empower collaboration to craft custom warehouse designs together. DCS utilizes consulting, engineering design, project management, installation services, and client support to ensure our customers can keep their promises to deliver on time.
Projects
With more than 40 years of experience providing automated system design, installation, and integration services, DCS has created solutions for companies throughout the United States in a broad range of industries and markets. We’ve completed more than 1500 projects ranging from greenfield facilities with completely new systems to expansions and retrofits of existing operations.

Evaluating Potential Consulting Partners? Consider the Following

You know your warehouse or distribution center has a problem. Maybe it’s an inability to meet spikes in demand, or to efficiently and cost effectively accommodate customers’ desire for free next-day shipping. Or, perhaps you’d like to add automation, but aren’t sure which process would benefit the most. Or, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended your traditional, full-pallet retail replenishment model and your operation is now shipping single parcels direct-to-consumer – and you need help figuring out how to accommodate the switch.

 

All of these (and many more) are great reasons to engage a consultant. As described in a previous post, organizations typically partner with a consultant because he or she brings expertise outside their core focus to help them solve a challenge or to provide a service. But how do you select the consultant, or consulting firm, that best addresses your specific needs?

 

Some operations are procurement-driven, issuing requests for proposals (RFPs) and selecting the consultant who offers the lowest price. While that’s certainly one way to vet your options, it may not result in the most effective partnership or a satisfactory outcome. Instead, consider evaluating a potential consulting partner in a manner similar to conducting the hiring process. After all, you’re engaging this person (or firm) to tackle a specific task – which isn’t so different from filling a defined role within your organization.

 

Here are a few tips to help you assess and select the right consultant for your project.

 

  1. Define Your Need. Think of this as the job description. Describe the challenge you’re hoping to overcome, and the objective(s) you’re seeking to achieve. Outline the deliverables you expect to receive, and the timeframe in which you’d like the project to be completed. This is also the time to identify your internal project manager, as well as set a budget.

 

  1. Assess Experience. Whether you’re hiring an individual or a firm, chances are you’ll be working with a single point person – regardless of whose logo is on their business card. The consultant you engage will bring his or her own unique background and individual experiences to the table. That may include working as a practitioner, an equipment supplier, a system integrator, or in warehousing, logistics, procurement, or transportation. Perhaps they’ve worked for large multi-national consulting firms, small regional providers, or hung out their own shingle.

 

Regardless of the content of their resume, you want to find the best match for your situation. What’s key is to look for someone who has experience working on projects with similar challenges to yours, with clients similar in size and structure to your organization, or within the same industry (or all three).

 

  1. Compare Services Provided. Depending on the consultant (or firm), their offerings may be specialized or span multiple services. Some offer current-state operational assessments; others help strategize on near- and long-term investments in equipment or automation. Others provide labor analysis, transportation services, business analytics, fulfillment strategies, network optimization, real estate procurement, regulatory compliance, and more.

 

If your needs are fairly focused, a one-time project, or you’re a small operation with a limited network, a specialized consultant may be the right fit (notably, if you’re looking at a software implementation, you definitely want a specialized consultant). If you have a larger challenge, a multi-location network, or have multiple interrelated challenges, consider a consultant with a broader service offering.

 

  1. Determine Brand Affiliation. Some consultants have made arrangements with major manufacturers and suppliers of material handling equipment to only integrate their products into recommended solutions. While this may not be an issue for your organization, chances are high that the optimal solution for your operation will integrate components and equipment from multiple manufacturers. For that reason, it’s generally advisable to work with a consultant who is brand agnostic and therefore able to freely offer a variety of potential solutions from different sources.

 

  1. Compare Rates. As noted above, the least expensive consulting option may not yield the most effective solution or outcome. That said, compare rates from potential suppliers to determine if they are market competitive as part of your decision-making process. They should all be within the same range, and – of course – within your budget.

 

  1. Query References. While it’s unlikely a prospective consultant is going to provide references from unhappy customers, don’t accept a list at face value; it’s also important to speak with those references yourself. By asking each reference a series of questions (which I’ll elaborate on in my next post), you should be able to ascertain specific details about what it’s like to work with the prospective consultant in terms of responsiveness, communication style, potential cultural fit with your organization and team, and – most importantly – the quality of their deliverables.

 

Need more ideas for ways to improve your operational performance or supplement your team’s expertise? To learn more about working with DCS, connect with us.

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Author

Mark Kidwell, Director of Supply Chain Consulting, markk@designedconveyor.com

With over 35 years in the Material Handling Industry, Mark provides valuable solutions for our clients regarding operations and process improvement, labor efficiency, DC design, and inventory management. Mark received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management and moved into operations and engineering management before supply chain consulting. A couple of his most significant achievements include helping start a 3PL company in the food industry and assisting grow and develop a supply chain consulting company from the ground up.