The Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) released findings of its annual DC Measures report during its 47th Annual Conference, being held in Dallas this week. Researchers Joe Tillman, a WERC consultant and manager at industry technology and education company SMC3 , and Donnie Williams of the University of Arkansas presented top-line findings and shared an executive summary of the report during a thought leader session on day two of the conference.
This is WERC’s 21st annual DC Measures report, identifying the major developments and trends in warehousing and distribution strategies and operational metrics. The survey of distribution and logistics professionals contains more than 30 metrics companies can use to benchmark their operations, understand industry trends, and make informed, data-driven decisions. This year’s report also includes two separate breakout reports: one on technology deployment trends and one on the impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies on the warehouse, which is an update to initial findings on ESG identified in 2023. Among the key findings this year, the study revealed an increased focus on finances, with respondents saying that “reducing costs” is their number one goal in 2024. The top five metrics warehouses and DCs are using to measure performance focus on capacity, inbound operations, customer service, quality, and employees. They are:
- Average warehouse capacity used
- Peak warehouse capacity used
- Dock-to-stock cycle time, in hours
- On-time shipments
- •Inventory count accuracy by location and part-time workforce to total workforce
