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Improve Distribution and Manufacturing Operations with Material Flow Analysis

With enVista’s material flow analysis (MFA), your company will be able to design and implement improved distribution and manufacturing operations, processes and information systems that can reduce operating costs, improve customer service and ultimately improve profitability.

The purpose of the Material Flow Analysis is to look at a business in a mathematical way, identify any problems in the material flow and informational flow, and at the same time, identify opportunities for improvement. The information that comes out of a Material Flow Analysis also gives the project team the ability to make objective decisions for the design of the new facility. For example, the profile will help decide whether it makes sense to create a “primary pick” area or to pick orders in batch instead of discretely.

This material flow analysis is the foundational piece of the warehouse design process that involves eliciting data, documenting, analyzing, communicating, tracking, validating, and verifying all the requirements that everyone thinks should be part of the project.

We will use the information gained during our material flow analysis to help you:

  • Streamline material flow
  • Reduce operating costs
  • Improve inventory accuracy
  • Reduce inventory investment
  • Reduce order turnaround time
  • Increase customer satisfaction
  • Increase revenue
  • Increase profitability

Meet One of Our Industry Experts

Mike Kasperski

Meet Mike Kasperski

Mike Kasperski, Managing Partner, leads enVista’s Facility Design practice and brings more than 30 years of experience in the material handling industry, including system design and implementation. Throughout his career, Mike has provided material handling solutions for companies such as The Sports Authority, Random House, McGraw Hill, Staples, Kohl’s, Anheuser-Busch, Kimberly Clark, FedEx and many more.

Ask An Expert

The first phase of material flow planning starts with conversations.

Where, when, how much, and most important, why are all discussed. Data on inbound and outbound order information, item masters, etc. are requested to provide insight into your business. As-is process is developed to form a baseline to build towards the future.

In order to develop the appropriate material flow strategy, warehouse data is required. Receiving, shipping and inventory data is obtained and run through enVista’s facility modeling tool (Model DC). The objective of the tool is to arrange, compare, and evaluate current receipt, order, and inventory data. This provides a clear picture to facilitate the design of future labor, equipment, space, systems and processes.

Output from our DC modeling tool is carefully reviewed for accuracy. Multiple charts, graphs and tables are developed to paint an analytic picture of the business needs. These results are vetted with key stakeholders within your company and confirmed before moving on to next steps of the warehouse design process.

Why enVista?

We are not just consultants, we are implementers and operators. We design solutions that work in real-world environments. You are working with the partners in the firm, people who have a true vested interest in your success. We treat your facility as if it were ours – leveraging every capital dollar and optimizing every minute of expense spend to give you the best value for your money.

We know multi-channel e-commerce in consumer products – we work with some of the most complex businesses and highest volume consumer package goods companies around the globe designing and implementing supply chain solutions. enVista has great experience to support all facets of an engagement, including Facility Design, Program Management, Software, Technical Development and Testing, and Labor across multiple sites.