Distribution Center in 30 Days – Is It Possible?

Customer service is the leading differentiator among successful 3PL companies. Not much else polls higher than providing top-notch service for retailers. That’s why if a customer needs something done in 30 days or less—even if that’s setting up a DC (distribution center) from scratch—NRS continues to meet the challenge.

Fully Functional DC in 30 Days

In the case of 3PL NRS, the company’s management places customer requests at the top of its to-do list. The leading 3PL firm stands out among its competitors with its can-do attitude, especially when it receives a request to execute a new distribution center in 30 days.

NRS has established itself as an expert in designing and opening a DC on short notice. With more than 60 years of experience, NRS has developed a talented team to work directly with its customers and has a long history of completing DC projects within a tight deadline.

Recently, NRS was assigned that very task—to develop a new fully-functional 100,000 sq ft distribution center in Columbia, MD for a major retailer. The NRS team was given one month to provide a brand new operational facility from a bare-bones empty warehouse.

“We work very closely with our customer to provide the best service as we find them a brand new home for their products,” says Jenny Connell, NRS assistant director of marketing. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done in those 30 days, however, before the first trucks can arrive in a new DC with their precious cargo.”

One of the first things that needs to be considered is finding a suitable location. Thorough demographic research of the area including the current population, age, wage study, and cost of living are a few of the considerations that need to be determined for a new DC.

Next, the team needs to research the type of employees and the pay schedule for the new distribution center and share this information with its customer to prepare an accurate budget. Among the 60 employees on site are terminal and supervisory managers to warehouse employees such as unloaders and receivers.

Because the new distribution center was empty prior to being selected by NRS, the entire building needs to be provided with functional tools and equipment. This ranges from basic office equipment such as staplers, copiers, and notepads as well as picnic tables for the staff’s lunch, refrigerators, cleaning supplies, to WiFi connectivity, air conditioning, barcode scanners, cherry pickers, fork lifts, and racking systems.

“What differentiates NRS from other firms is that we put together an experienced cohesive team that can respond quickly,” says Connell. “We are a privately held 3PL company, so anyone who has dealt with public companies will appreciate the rapid speed that we are able to make decisions and move forward.”

Implementing an effective and efficient cross dock workflow for the new DC needs to be designed and thoroughly planned out. Trucks are arriving with cargo that needs to be off-loaded, processed, deconsolidated, stored, and shipped.

Another important consideration is finding top-notch security for the distribution center facility to provide asset and loss protection. Building an effective security team at the DC for 24/7 protection is integral.

The team at NRS needs to construct security gates and cameras and hire dependable security guards. Onboarding new personnel that can be trusted to protect millions of dollars of inventory is vital and is a delicate transition.

“This new distribution center will process millions of pounds of freight from manufacturers that will eventually end up on store shelves,” says Connell. “Having the knowledge and experience to get a DC up and running in 30 days is one of the many reasons why retailers choose NRS as their 3PL logistics company.”

The Ultimate 3PL

National Retail Systems, Inc. (NRS) includes Keystone Freight Corp. & National Retail Transportation, Inc. (NRT). NRS is an asset based 3PL that has been providing logistics services for the World’s leading retail companies for 60+ years. Our hub locations include: New York & New Jersey; Los Angeles, CA; Inland Empire, CA; Savannah, GA; Columbus, OH; Greensboro, NC; and Baltimore, MD.