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DCS’s design and engineering team has more than 40 years of experience creating unique parcel handling systems for diverse customer applications. With installations including semi-automated handling in small city distribution centers and fully automated, integrated hubs with advanced conveyor and sorter equipment, DCS routinely thinks outside the box.
DCS designs and implements end-to-end warehouse automation solutions for e-commerce and multi-channel retailers that address numerous workflow challenges. This includes solutions for receiving, putaway, storage, replenishment, order fulfillment, picking, packing, sortation, and outbound shipping. Our custom integrated warehouse, distribution, and fulfillment systems draw from a deep pool of conventional, semi-automated, and automated material handling technologies.
Whether an operation is considering the construction of a new distribution or fulfillment center, or a retrofit or expansion of an existing facility, it’s important to create a solution that fits the overarching supply chain strategy. DCS has four decades of experience designing and integrating comprehensive, end-to-end material handling solutions that meet a multitude of operational goals. Whether conventional, semi-automated, or fully automated, DCS can help your organization implement a custom solution that meets its goals while maximizing return on investment (ROI).
The DCS Supply Chain Consulting team offers a range of services to help your operations address the challenges it faces. Working in partnership with you, DCS consultants analyze your business data- existing workforce, workflow processes, inventory, order data, operations, and more- to determine a strategy that addresses your unique needs. Whether you need an operations assessment, process improvement recommendations, or distribution design services, DCS consultants will help guide you to the material handling system or operational solution that best meets your current and future needs, as well as your budget.
Keeping your warehouse operations and material handling systems running smoothly and at the peak of productivity are the goals of DCS’ Customer Service Team. By partnering with DCS, your warehouse automation solution is supported from commissioning to end of life. You’ll receive comprehensive in-house training of your personnel, including specialized training of your designated internal system expert. Plus, DCS offers a complete package of spare parts and expert system troubleshooting support from qualified engineers dedicated to your installation.
DCS offers a broad range of material handling equipment and automated system design, installation, and integration services for a multitude of projects. These include retrofits, expansions, upgrades, and more. While every project is unique, our system design and execution processes are the same, encompassing meticulous attention to detail, frequent communication, and a dedicated partnership with our clients.
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Designed Conveyor Systems (DCS) has 40 years of experience serving major clients in multiple industries by providing material handling, full-scale warehouse operations, and conveyor design solutions that are custom crafted for their needs. DCS does not sell ready-made conveyor systems but builds relationships that empower collaboration to craft custom warehouse designs together. DCS utilizes consulting, engineering design, project management, installation services, and client support to ensure our customers can keep their promises to deliver on time.
With more than 40 years of experience providing automated system design, installation, and integration services, DCS has created solutions for companies throughout the United States in a broad range of industries and markets. We’ve completed more than 1500 projects ranging from greenfield facilities with completely new systems to expansions and retrofits of existing operations.
# Holistic Site Selection and Facility Design Help Deliver Overarching Supply Chain Strategy: Part 1
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Holistic Site Selection and Facility Design Help Deliver Overarching Supply Chain Strategy: Part 1
**Date Posted:**
06.19.23
Chances are, your warehouse or distribution operation is feeling both , and  to store excess inventory  have begun to ease. In response, you’re probably thinking about acquiring more square footage and adding some degree of automation to help address both challenges.
Both are perfectly valid options. However, don’t make the leap without a parachute. Whether constructing a greenfield facility, expanding an existing operation, or leasing a different building, site selection and facility design decisions represent an enormous investment in both time and capital. That’s why it’s imperative to embrace a holistic site selection and design approach to ensure the facility supports your overarching supply chain strategy.
In this, the first of two posts about this topic, I’ll share how DCS approaches these engagements.
***How DCS Approaches Site Selection and Facility Design Engagements***
When faced with the day-to-day challenges of getting orders out the door and on-time, it can be difficult to step back and consider the options. That’s why engaging the right system integrator can help.
A system integrator like DCS can help guide your operation through a comprehensive, thorough, and holistic process that ensures that your new facility is located in the right place, has the appropriate amount of square footage, and supports your automated material handling needs — today and into the future.
DCS applies a 4-step process to site selection and facility design engagements. This includes:
**Step 1: Ensuring a Cultural Fit.**
DCS deeply values our employees and their input. Leadership empowers everyone within our organization with the ability, opportunity, and permission to affect change. We encourage and trust each other to think creatively and share ideas for how we can continually get better. Therefore, it’s important to us that we partner with customers who feel the same. The most successful projects originate in this foundational principle.
**Step 2: Understanding Your Overarching Supply Chain Strategy, Structure, and Implementation Goals.**
Throughout the engagement process, DCS asks a lot of questions and listens closely to the answers. We need to first understand your business strategy before we can help to determine the appropriate facility type, location, and equipment to meet your objectives. We also dig into your business structure and your implementation goals to gain more insight into how best to meet your needs.
**Step 3: Evaluating and Assessing Your Current and Projected Needs.**
 works in partnership with you to closely examine your business data. This includes existing workforce, current workflow processes, inventory, order data, operations, software, conventional and automated equipment, and more. We perform end-to-end  and seek out  opportunities to determine if reconfiguring your current facility can deliver the space and labor solutions you need — in alignment with your supply chain strategy.
**Step 4: Assessing Site Selection and Facility Design Options.**
If it is determined that your operations do need more space, DCS can help figure out how to maximize your facility investment while minimizing commissioning time. We conduct  to establish the optimal size, location, staffing, and automation required, then recommend a solution. That can include expanding your existing footprint, relocating to a new location, or adding another facility to your network.
***Industrial Capacity at an All-Time Premium***
When the solution calls for a new location, we engage with one of our preferred real estate partners to help evaluate all the options. This step is critical, particularly as industrial and commercial warehousing space has become exceptionally scarce across the country. This has caused industrial rents to explode in most markets.
Research from Todd Steffen, Executive Vice President of Supply Chain & Real Estate Advisory Services at Colliers, an international commercial real estate brokerage and advisory firm, backs this up. Their most recent  noted:
* The overall industrial vacancy rate was 3.7% at the end of 2022, even tighter than the previous year of 3.9%.
* 481 million square feet of new industrial capacity filled up in 2022, despite a 25.9% growth in new supply over 2021.
* On average, lease rates rose to $9.07 per square foot; 12 months prior it was $7.91 per square foot.
* More than 647 million square feet is currently under construction — much of which is probably already committed to a tenant.
However, greenfield construction remains out of reach for many operations in terms of costs, contractor and material availability, and equipment lead times. Even though warehouse and distribution operators need more space, the miniscule supply that’s available is extremely expensive, especially in primary markets like Inland Empire, Seattle, New Jersey, and Savannah — not only for .
Pressed by a shortage of space, it can be tempting to snap up any available facility that appears to have enough square footage to accommodate inventory needs. But doing so would be a mistake. There are several other factors to consider first before signing that lease, which I will discuss in the .
***Considering a New Facility? Talk to a System Integrator First***
Working with the right system integrator ensures that your new facility will be in the right place, based on a host of supply chain, operational, and infrastructure factors. It also delivers flexibly designed facilities that form the foundation of your long-term success.
**For more information about how holistic site selection and facility design can help deliver on your overarching supply chain strategy,** **, or reach out directly to me at gary@designedconveyor.com.**
**AUTHOR:** Gary Church, *Strategic Accounts, Senior Executive,* gary@designedconveyor.com
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