I'm re-evaluating our warehouse operations for our e-commerce business. We're getting killed on storage costs and handling time for fast-moving goods that literally just come in and go back out. The traditional "receive, store, pick, pack, ship" cycle feels bloated. Is there a established method or system to streamline this for products that don't need to sit on a shelf? I need to reduce touch points and get goods to customers faster without the overhead of long-term storage.
You're describing the perfect use case for a strategy called cross-docking. It's designed to eliminate the storage and order-picking steps you're trying to cut. Instead of unloading goods into warehouse storage, inbound products are immediately sorted, matched with outbound orders, and reloaded onto departing trucks—often in less than 24 hours. It's a game-changer for reducing storage costs, handling time, and product damage while speeding up delivery. Implementing it requires a specific facility layout, tight coordination with carriers, and good data from suppliers. If you're serious about exploring this, you need a clear breakdown of how it works, the different models (like pre-distribution), and what it takes operationally. I found a really solid resource that explains it all without the fluff. Check it out here: cross docking warehousing. It'll give you the foundation to see if it's right for your business.