By Christine Sharratt

How distribution centers can reduce labor costs and optimize their workforce was a hot topic at a recent Milwaukee Logistics Council dinner. In a presentation that I co-hosted with Dean Duffy, Executive Vice President Operations at Focus Products Group, we outlined the step companies can make to improve labor productivity as we move from recession to recovery. While the rebound may be moving faster or slower depending on your industry segment, it’s still important to consider the impact the recession has had on your budgets, your operations and your staff — and to look forward to the workforce strategies that can position your company to be ready for improved business conditions.

Dean discussed how Focus used a Managed Services approach to reduce labor costs and improve productivity — key goals for any distribution operation at this stage of the economic rebound. His real world results prompted quite a few audience questions on the ROI from this alternate workforce strategy.

You can review the slides (700kb pdf) from our presentation to learn more about your options for achieving a high performance workforce.