IMPLEMENTING A SUCCESSFUL CROSSDOCKING OPERATION

Today we all face the task of making our operations more efficient. We constantly look at the four functions of warehousing-receiving, stori ng, picking, and shipping-and decide how to improve each one and how t hey work together. However, the best way to reduce costs and improve e fficiency is to eliminate a function, not improve it. Crossdocking has the potential to eliminate storing and picking, the two most expensiv e warehousing operations. This goal gives us the most basic definition of crossdocking: reducing material handling by sending received goods directly to customers, bypassing storage.