Problem
Cardinal Health, a billion-dollar pharmaceutical distribution and logistics firm, manages multiple products from brand name pharmaceuticals and generic drugs to over the counter drugs, health & beauty items and their own private label. They face a multitude of typical distribution warehouse challenges that are further complicated by the nature of pharmaceutical products, which are smaller in size, consumable, expensive, and could be life critical.
Cardinal Health is an essential link in the healthcare supply chain, offering next day delivery to over 30,000 locations including hospitals, retail pharmacies, physicians' offices, and direct to consumer. Cardinal Health considers facility layout, flow of product, order picking, labor planning & scheduling, customer order requirements and congestion for analysis and day to day operations management.
Despite of that, Many process of warehouse management are risky, expensive and difficult to make changes. From your perspective as a warehouse manager, answer the following questions:
a) Based on class discussions and your readings, describe the rationale and role of warehouse manager in this case, and explain the main warehouse process accordingly.
b) Identify the potential solutions, tools, and procedures that can supply chain manager and warehouse manager can apply to solve this issue and improve ongoing process.