Learning Warehouse LO20955

Jay Spitulnik (jspitulnik@aedinc.com)
Mon, 22 Mar 1999 09:08:31 -0500

Replying to LO20903 --

Vana wrote in LO20903

> A warehouse is a place where surplus is stored. It is not usually a
> place
> where you keep something that is used often or needs to be accessed
> quickly. It also has an industrial and assembly-line imagae, which runs
> against the grain of a service delivery model.

With all due respect, Vana, this is an inaccurate perception of a modern
warehouse. In a just-in-time environment, a warehouse IS a storage
facility, but you must be able to access it often and quickly. When I was
quality manager at a large distribution company, I used the same (or
similar) models to study and improve the warehouse processes that were
applicable when I worked in a professional services firm.

At any rate, a warehouse is not just a place where surplus is stored. It
is a dynamic component in a fast-paced production, distribution, and sales
environment. It's possible that a modern warehouse IS a good metaphor to
use in a discussion of learning and knowledge management.

Jay Spitulnik
Senior Consultant
AED, Inc.
600 Unicorn Park Drive
Woburn, MA 01801
781-932-9090 (voice)
781-932-9077 (fax)

-- 

Jay Spitulnik <jspitulnik@aedinc.com>

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