Which brings me back to Dan’s thought about applying WMS and task management concepts to other businesses. Every distribution center and warehouse has had two main overarching business drivers since day one. First has been the need to deliver the desired product to the requestor as expected, when it is expected. We call this the ‘perfect order.’ Second is the need for the business to achieve this task in the most cost-effective and safe manner. The reason why voice-enabling the distribution center has because so popular is because the voice-enabling technology platform, when coupled with an ERP or WMS solution, addresses head-on these two business objectives. Best-in-class operations understand that being able to deliver the perfect order will not, in and of itself, keep a business operating. They know that a perfect order needs also to be executed with the lowest possible cost, while protecting the safety of their employees. Driving bottom-line results is the absolute cornerstone of the overall operation.
Taken together, these two business motivations create an opportunity for smarter business execution. Best-in-class distributon centers and warehouses have understood this for years. Best-in-class businesses understand that challenging the business operation and helping take business performance to a higher level is their responsibility. I think Dan Gilmore asks the same for the healthcare industry. Why don’t other businesses do the same?
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