The Warehouse Underground Podcast

Sarit Tamir is Founder & CEO at Seeteria, which I must say, is a very cool start up with a great solution for a problem in large distribution centers: it's hard to see everything at once! But if your site has cameras already inside and Wi-Fi, they have all they need to start working the magic! They're eliminating the invisible middle in warehouse operations by providing real time visibility right to your phone with alerts and all the data you could want to your computer. The platform translates video into live operational signals such as dwell time, congestion, dock activity, and workflow delays without requiring WMS integration. Check them out today and see the whole flow clearly!

Leroy Pinckney Jr. has seen it all. Raised in Harlem. Deployed to Iraq in the Army. A distribution career in multiple organizations (including Amazon.) He was recently laid off and is now navigating the world of networking, job applications, interviews and ultimately continually putting himself out there to find the new right spot for him. And it can be tough out there. BUT he's all over it (see his most recent viral LinkedIn posts.) We talk about his background and more: What it really means to lead people when the stakes are high and the margin for error is zero. He sees himself as a lion. What happens when the lion gets laid off? No quit. Just finds a new hunt. 🦁 If you're in the same boat, Leroy can be an inspiration and guide for you!

I must say, there are some exciting, buzz worthy, and extremely positive stuff going on at Knight-Swift Supply Chain! They allowed me a chance to record this amazing podcast episode to chat with and highlight SEVEN of their stellar ops employees. These folks are a mix of salaried and hourly. They chatted with me during a break in operations and they were GREAT! It really comes through the positivity they feel, and they embody and embrace the company core values. Hear from some unheralded folks who are the REAL folks getting the J.O.B. done daily.

Anupam Bandyopadhyay, Supply Chain Design Leader, has been leading high level projects in supply chain for almost 20 years including robotics integrations, WMS implementations, AI initiatives and more. He's currently the Senior Manager / Design Lead for Manhattan Associates and is VP/Mentor with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP Atlanta Round Table) and a new Advisory Board Member with the International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA). It was a pleasure talking with him about the future of operations as he sees them from the technology side! Technology integration, robotics, change management, labor orchestration.... it's all here and more!

Do you see a problem here? Overfilled warehouses from excess and dead stock? Common problem! But Amrita Bhasin the CEO at Sotira has created a big time way out of this. Reverse logistics rarely gets as much hype as mainline distribution operations do. But that doesn't mean it isn't an area begging for solutions. And at Sotira, they are helping companies discreetly monetize and donate surplus inventory. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with her to learn more about just how this works for customers, how it came to be, and why it's quickly being adopted as a go-to tool for so many operations across the country. But I also loved her opinions on how supply chain as an industry is perceived by youth today and much more. Listen for yourself and see why Sotira is growing so fast, why she has become such a sought-after speaker in this arena, and why she has been featured on so many different network broadcasts speaking on the subject!

Dario De Stasio checking in to the podcast all the way from Italy! He is an emerging logistics ecosystem architect in his own words, and it was such a treat to chat with him about logistics in general but much more. - The gray areas organizations often have when it comes to decision making. - Mental automation before technological automation importance. - Cultural differences between European operations and those in the United States. - The geostrategic advantages Italy has as a logistics hub in the Mediterranean. And much more! This was a very direct and unfiltered exchange! Check it out.

Different vibe here from a regular TWU podcast, but raw real event with real people from the FC industry and the panel offering as much insight, perspective, wisdom as we could! Also, these are OUR opinions and thoughts about A way to excel in the industry.  We are not saying these opinions are THE way.  Take them as you will. A little bit of everything in this one and worth a listen! Carlos Cody @ 10:28 Devin Galloway @ 44:25 Ben Hopkins @ 58:51

Keith Ingels is the Director of Lean Business Development at Toyota Material Handling North America. Find out how the famous Toyota Production System, that he has extensive training in, is intertwined with Toyota Material Handling equipment of all types. Don't miss our no holds barred discussion about all things Lean/Continuous Improvement in the industry... 👍 Things we like. 👎 Things we don't like, 🚫 Things that should just be removed from people's vocabulary all together. MYTHS! "Lean can be used to drive results. No, lean is used to drive INPUTS which drive results!" Check this episode out and hear some of the gritty truths you've come to expect from The Warehouse Underground!

How many pallets are on Earth?  I've seen some big estimates on this (pushing 10 figures.)  They are such a critical piece of operations today but can sometimes be an afterthought, that is, until you run out.  Good operations leaders should know at least a little bit about how the pallet industry operates.  Having a great partner for this can be HUGE!  Stephen Bartalini the Director, National Sales at PalletTrader and this episode is a great place to start learning more and could be just the partner for you.  Great chat about the industry he is in, the operational realities ops leaders need to know, and how they best partner with their customers to ensure they check all of their boxes.

Loved chatting with Carlos Cody on this episode about real life of operations inside big fulfillment centers and how he leads others in this arena! He's walking the walk in the world of fulfillment as an Executive Operations Leader (scaling systems, developing leaders & driving profitable growth) and he's doing this the right way: by growing, mentoring, and championing all of the talented people he leads. We chat about the realities of fulfillment center operations, how people can best set themselves up for career success, and how to become a true genuine and authentic leader. This episode is packed with incredible advice for anyone, but especially emerging leaders in this industry!

I couldn't have Mack on the podcast without also featuring an episode with Ria Story too!  She is the founder of Top Story Leadership and has trained thousands of leaders across the country & internationally for more than 13 years and has helped them in the development needed to climb The Ladder of Influence®.  A published author of 21 books, her own story of resilience is truly inspiring not only to me but to the many others who hear her message.    When you listen to her, you will understand why so many others find her so engaging and immediately grasp how impactful her message can be!   

Mack Story, the creator of Blue-Collar Leadership®, joined me for a great show that speaks directly to the heart of the blue-collar world but also those who lead in it on both sides.  The majority of people working in distribution today are front line employees!  Blue-Collar Leadership® is designed to help you strengthen your team, increase workforce engagement, and build a high-impact culture that retains and attracts top talent. They specialize in Helping Leaders Engage the Front Line to Improve the Bottom Line.® Such a great and insightful show with incredible wisdom that you can only get from living it just like Mack has!  Check out his books, courses, speaking events, or podcast today (you won't regret it!)

In a world where metrics, efficiencies, KPIs rule the day, it was great chatting with Dr. Vernard Jenkins (also a fellow 2003 graduate of the Air Force Academy) about the massive importance of soft skills for leaders in the distribution industry. He's the VP of Operations at Knight-Swift Warehousing & Fulfillment, a 3PL with sites nationwide. While he himself has had success at every level during his career climb, he is a big-time champion and model for what it means to give back and mentor the next generation of leaders. Check out all of his awesome articles on LinkedIn and his new video series "Dinner Conversations with Doctor V." It is some of the most honest, heartfelt, genuine and frankly spot on advice that anyone in the industry could benefit from!

🦺 "Manager Methods" episode! Great chat with Devin Galloway, an Operations Leadership Expert & Corporate Trainer, about development of new managers in fulfillment centers and the challenges this environment can bring. He should know. 👉 He has 12+ years of experience inside of Amazon FCs starting out as a front-line associate, managing hundreds of employees across multiple departments then ultimately, he progressed to designing and delivering leadership development workshops to managers across more than 80 Amazon sites throughout the US and Canada. 🚨 Now he is giving back to all and helping the next wave with Leadership Lessons (link below) where he's published 300+ articles providing practical leadership guidance for operations managers. Check out his stuff and you'll see like I did that it's the gritty truth. Use it to help transform leaders of all levels!

Michael Rubin who is an OSHA attorney from Ogletree Deakins joined me for this great show. If you're a warehouse or distribution center leader and OSHA shows up in your lobby do you know what to do? Do you know your rights and what you have to do vs what you don't? What about on the OSHA side; what are they allowed and not allowed to do? Don't wait until the moment hits to feel that anxiety and possibly do or say something you regret simply because you didn't have the knowledge of how this realm works! He's been in this world for well over 20 years and is helping employers with OSHA inspections, citations, and trials nationwide. Not only does he do this with future preparation he's been known to simply respond to calls or texts WHILE inspections are about to happen or happening!

Dominic Lindsay is the Founder / CEO of Nexobot. I had a chance to chat with him for this episode about this awesome new product/service that is making automation accessible to operations of all sizes. Work in big FCs/DCs and you know how critical the outbound sorter is to your operation. And while these systems are great, they're also millions of dollars to install and the integration and installation "lift" for these is enormous! Hardly ever an option for mid-tier operations. But Nexobot is a LOW-COST order sorter utilizing robots as the prime method for box movement vs conveyors. And it can be fully deployed in a matter of weeks not months. They're only available in Australia right now, but this is a fast-growing company that you could soon see in warehouses around the USA!

Mike Coers, SVP Managed Logistics at Kinimatic, stopped by for a very cool chat.  As operations grow and consider expanding their footprint to multiple sites across the country, the complexity begins to grow too.... and fast!  Where do you move to?  What inventory should go?  How do you know if you're getting savings or not on the logistics side?  How do you track and have visibility on all of this?  Enter Kinimatic.  They have a "tech-driven approach combining advanced software, expansive integrations, an experienced service team, and a nationwide logistics network to deliver dynamic omnichannel visibility, control, and scalable growth."  If you're a leader staring down an expansion like this reach out to them to be a BIG-TIME resource!

Jim Perry, Commercial Business Director at Warehouse on Wheels, joined me today! I always enjoy chatting with anyone from this company because I'm such a huge fan of how they operate and the solutions + service they provide to many distribution leaders. I'm talking about the leaders suffering through the heartache of running out of space in their facility! I know what this is like first-hand. Chatting with Jim, it's apparent that they are well intertwined with their customers. They understand fully their pain, and they are constantly refining where they can best come in in to reduce it. Don't accept a jam-packed facility as a reality of your operation. No. Let WOW be your side storage solution while you go back to focusing on mainline operations!

Great show with Lee Rector CEO of LaborAI! Lee has over 30 years working with businesses of all sizes across multiple countries, has been a featured speaker at countless industry-leading events across the globe, and is the author of a globally recognized warehousing resource book Warehousing 101: A Reference Guide. Now, with LaborAI he is transforming warehouse operations with tools geared to help solve the ever-evolving challenge of labor. LaborAI, a highly cost-effective labor planning tool, leverages order file data to accurately determine labor needs. No guesswork. No retro-active averages. No estimates. Just PRESCRIPTIVE analytics to arrive at the truth data much faster! Sign me up for this yesterday!

The rather epic Sam Goodman joined in to talk all things safety. But....this isn't your grandpa's safety. Sam has a very fresh slant on it that he has molded after MANY years in the field. He is Founder, Human and Organizational Performance practitioner, and safety consultant at The HOP Nerd LLC. Not only this but is also an accomplished consultant, coach, author, and speaker specializing in bringing HOP to life within organizations. He builds high-impact learning teams & fosters work environments of curiosity, improvement, and innovation. It was awesome chatting with him and hearing all of his fresh takes on many topics which have shaken up the industry to some degree! (Yes, Darrell The Safety Man joined on the show too but stay tuned for a special BONUS FOOTAGE episode for that!)

Dana Harris, a 15-year veteran in the industry and now the General Manager of a large site in the mid-west USA, dropped by for a chat as part of our "Manager Methods" Series. It's great to shine a spotlight on ACTUAL managers in the facilities on the front lines getting it done! He's doing such a great job with his teams inside the 4 walls of the facility but follow him on LinkedIn and you'll see that he has opened a window for all to see the TRUTH about what is going on there. He doesn't hesitate to reveal the wins, the losses, the triumphs, the challenges and how they overcome them (which anyone who works in operations will tell you is much more the reality of life inside a DC.) Oh, be sure to listen until the end for some "Prime Time Points"

Will Quinn, aka The Distribution Guy, joined me for this episode to talk all things warehousing, distribution, AI, career growth and much more! Such great insights on this episode from Will! The contributions he has made to the world of distribution are immense including 25+ years leading at all levels of well-known companies, operating his own consulting firm, publishing nearly 100 articles, speaking at many distribution events both in person and online, and now working as a professor sharing wisdom to the next wave of leaders. I could have gone on for hours chatting with him. If you are an up-and-coming leader in the industry this is the show for you and if you are not following Will or reaching out to him as a resource somehow you are missing out!

Zack Napolitano, Founder of the TAC Group, dropped by for a great discussion about optimizing operations inside warehouses, distribution, and fulfillment centers. I also got a chance to get his views on what he's seen from the vantage point of his consulting firm traveling around the country and having supported many well-known companies and their operations. The main tagline for The TAC Group is: "An operation that is fundamentally optimized can hold up to the pressure of an ever-changing market and allow for ROI realization for new technology and automation in your operations. A strategy that incorporates new Processes, with engaged People always ends in enhanced Profits."   Spot on, Zack!

I've been trying to get this guy on the podcast for a while now. The one and only Tyrell A. Morris joined me for this episode. If you follow him on LinkedIn like I do, you will see a steady stream of incredible insightful and heartfelt content, and it's all genuine. Not only is he a Senior Operations Manager at Maersk but he is also a published author (his book is still selling copies 5 years later) and he is starting up his own consulting firm. Why? People from all walks of life are constantly coming to him looking for mentorship; he's just one of those people that attracts that. Listen to the episode to hear his takes on leadership, mentorship, connecting with and getting the most out of employees, inspirational moments from his past life, and oh also some of his rules of thumb for running effective operations. Great stuff here!

Michael Pierce is a new shipping manager who came up through the ranks starting as an associate. He contacted me saying he was a fan of the podcast and wanted to come on & talk about his journey from associate to manager, lessons he's learned along the way, challenges he faced in a new manager role, & what he was doing to tackle them. I immediately said yes & was thrilled to talk about some of the REAL stuff that happens in the world of managing a warehouse. Online today it often seems as if warehousing posts are either 1) grainy video of a forklift accident 2) a burger burn or some other type of morale event in a warehouse or 3) (Distant third) a choreographed dance with the warehouse employees. All good, but it was nice to have a chat about the real stuff that's 99% of a warehouse leader's time!

I love highlighting new and exciting startups on the podcast! Spurthi Venkatesh Prasad is the Founder of HudQu which is "Bridging non-tech jobs and talent, one scroll at a time." She joins me for a chat about her innovative and exciting new company that is modernizing and simplifying the world of staffing and recruitment for warehouse jobs (and many other industries). Job seeking sucks ok, we can all agree. But with HudQu, it can actually be.... dare I say.... fun for BOTH sides of the fence. Check the podcast out to learn more about how they can help you in your search as a candidate, and how as a company, you can swipe through daily to see what new "potential all-stars" are available before the temp agencies ever get their hands on them!

The 3PL world is huge. There are thousands....10s of thousands of them around the globe and trying to learn which one might be the best for brands is a challenge. What separates the good from the bad? What is life like inside one? Nish George, the CEO of Fetch Fulfillment, was my guest for this episode! We pull back the curtain on how Fetch operates, what are some of the missteps and oversights brand owners often make when deciding on 3PLs, and how Fetch is able to achieve some of their stellar performance metrics. He also walks me through exactly what happens when customers start partnering with him and the nuts and bolts that go into achieving success for both sides. Oh, Nish drops some amazing stories (of some ridiculous situations) from his former life before Fetch!

I was super thrilled that Kelly (Dockrell) Brown stopped by for this episode! She is the creator and owner of a very successful recruiting firm called Acclaim Recruiters which has a big presence in the Supply Chain space. She reveals some AWESOME insider knowledge about how the industry works behind the scenes with clients....(is it taboo to say it's a smidge like online dating?), how to optimize all your stuff specifically your LinkedIn profile which can't be understated in importance, what "knowing your worth" really means & much more. Oh, in her "spare time" she is a published author of a very genuine and honest book "Acclaimed Journey to Aloha: A Faith-Fueled Pursuit Into The Unknown" and she is a motivational speaker. Check this episode out and you'll see why she's so endearing to everyone she interacts with!

Running out of space in a warehouse or distribution center is the WORST! If you have lived through this like I have you know how awful it is. Ready for the laundry list? Productivity down. Safety risks up. Inventory write off odds up. Housekeeping down. MORALE DOWN! But to all the warehouse managers and DC/FC ops managers out there just know you don't have to suffer through it! John Brooks the CEO at Warehouse on Wheels dropped in for this episode to talk about some solutions to these pain points for operations leaders. "WoW is a family of companies specializing in solving business needs in a multitude of industries by providing storage, cartage, and over the road trailers. We're making our customer's lives easier! And you're getting the Ritz Carlton service at the Hampton Inn price." Great show and check them out today as your pressure relief valve!

Paul Lukehart Managing Principal, PL Programs LLC was my guest for this episode. He's well versed in the operations world realities with the background to prove it from some well-known big names. But he took that knowledge/wisdom and put it into his own organization. PL Programs is helping operations executives deliver projects critical to their supply chain capabilities from new site launches to automation upgrades. I loved getting into the weeds with him on how they go about delivering for clients, what makes PL Programs unique, and some of his own unique perspectives on the industry. Oh, he's also a published author with books for operations leaders out there. The books are great, but you won't want to miss the "pure gold" comedic review he received from one reader! Paul is somebody you should definitely be following online and utilizing as a resource!

Tomas David Ye and Dibyesh Giri from Perseuss stopped by the Podcast for this episode. Up front, they have a fantastic solution that is helping operations reduce their shipping cost and optimize their packing process. In the warehousing world it's often picking which takes up a lot of the oxygen, resources, and labor. But they're here to tell you that you are possibly bleeding money out by not optimizing pack and you don't even realize it! Savvy operators realize that it's an ever-changing ballgame at pack to optimize it with literally thousands and thousands of variables. Don't leave this up to chance or expect packers to figure them all out. Utilize a well thought out solution like Perseuss to do it!

Thanks to the real Mike Meyers the founder of Lully for coming on the show! Mike has been connected with the software and optimization side of warehouse and distribution for a long time. Now, he has taken all of that expertise and started his own company. Lully is here to "maximize warehouse efficiency with unparalleled flexibility and simplicity. Simplify achieving warehouse operational efficiency through our end-to-end orchestration platform." This is very GRITTY show, we challenge many warehousing "truths", and this sometimes gets people worked up! Decide for yourself where you come down on the arguments.

Great podcast with Cliff Hardesty the VP at Bar Code Depot. We dove into the history of Bar Code Depot, how a family legacy turned into a trusted partner for warehouses and distribution centers across the country. We also talked about exciting new partnerships, including how they're working with Nexus AMR to bring cutting-edge robotics to their customers. T he conversation also touched on where they're headed next – from emerging technologies to their bold vision for the future of Bar Code Depot. A great "go to" to have ready in your queue for tech solutions in your warehouse!

Running out of space in your warehouse? Having to store pallets of goods down the aisles just so that you can unload trucks and not pay detention? This scenario sucks. Next? Safety risk up. Inventory write-offs up. Productivity down. And what are you supposed to do about it....raise the roof higher? Why yes! I loved chatting with Matt De Vito of LIFTEX and Rob Marek of Raise The Roof Logistics who do exactly that for industrial buildings and warehouses. Square footage is expensive for new warehouses these days, so the best option just may be to go higher in the facility you're in.

I don't know much about machine learning or AI, but Jerry Abiog does! He's CEO & Co-founder @ Standard Insights & as he says has been "working in the AI space before it was cool." More specifically, he helps businesses leverage their first-party data to predict and influence their customers' buying patterns. Don't think this applies to the world of distribution centers? Jerry and I feel you'd be mistaken. Operations are starting to dip their toes deeper into the AI waters, and Standard Insights is the perfect partner to guide your journey!

Operations teams spend money on all types of things to keep things running on time. From materials to supplies and everything in between. Take it from me...it's a HUGE headache doing it, tracking it, and accounting for it. After all, operations leaders are trying to run operations first! But Keivan Shahida and Response have created a solution to massively help with this headache (even better than Tylenol!) It was super cool chatting with him and learning more about how Response came to be and the gap they are plugging in the market helping operations control indirect spend from end-to-end.

Don't feel like you're getting the most out of your WMS? IS YOUR WMS VENDOR BECOMING SLOW TO RESPOND TO YOUR CALLS? Make the "911 call for help" to Tryon Solutions! I enjoyed the chat with Jody Phillips to learn the ins and outs of how Tryon can be a big-time advocate for operations utilizing well known Warehouse Management Systems. They have the team that you want in your corner when you're getting punched in the face during the early or growth phases of a new WMS install.

Lots of insight was shared when LaFayette Engineering along with their sister company Mesh Automation (Mesh Automation Website Link) joined the show. Investing in a big-time automation or robotic engineering initiative for your warehouse/DC might seem daunting, but the impact and gains from it can be BIG. Kris Cugnon and Jim Webb share their perspectives on how it all goes down when you work with them on such a project. The goals you have might not be as far off as you think and these two can make them happen. Also, Jim drops some "teasers" about upcoming reveals from Mesh Automation during upcoming trade shows. Check them out!

Jamie Callihan and Phil Denton joined me on this episode to talk about their robotics solutions at JLC Robotics. We discuss how their products are the perfect gateway for operations wanting to begin their robotics journey. Also, we highlight the methods their tech can help achieve customer ROI timeline goals. Added on to that though, we discuss the growing desire in the industry to remember the "soft" returns and the value robotics can bring in multiple areas such as employee retention, attracting employees in a competitive warehouse world, and brand perception/long term investment security to customers.

I loved chatting with Leah Clement of iJility, which is a staffing firm that doesn't just fill roles; they elevate your operations. They're much more comprehensive and in depth than traditional staffing firms. I asked insightful questions, and she answered them all! Examples: "Aren't different staffing firms all just pulling from the same pool of people? We always hear warehouses should increase wages but is that actually required to get the better talent or is it just a way for the agencies to make more money? Why in the warehousing world does assessing employees as temps first beat direct hire programs?"

In this episode I chat with Kasey McCormick Lyding who is the founder of ManagerStreet. Even though we are from different industries we had a great chat about first time managers/supervisors, the lack of training they sometimes get in their new roles, and ways she can help in their growth by teaching, coaching, and mentoring. Platforms like hers are a GOLDMINE for anyone wanting to better themselves as a new manager!

In this episode I chat with Casey Winans who is the CEO at Fullstride. He helps advise and guide operations through their first WMS installations from conception to end.  If you are considering a WMS implementation for your organization, this is the podcast for you! I ask him many questions about what goes on "behind the scenes" in this industry and we discuss the wisdom we've gained from going through these impactful operational events. Take it from me, you don't know what you don't know and what you don't know can bring PAIN!