Southeast Regional Warehouse Location Optimization Study

Business Challenge

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.(KMC) is a division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries with headquarters in Kobe, Japan. KMC is a manufacturer and distributor of motorcycles, ATVs, utility vehicles, watercraft, and accessories. KMC had warehoused their Southeast Region Motorcycles in Savannah, Georgia for a number of years. The lease on their warehouse facility was coming due and they wanted to identify the lowest cost, best service warehouse location to serve their Southeast Region Dealers.

How WCL Consulting Helped

WCL Consulting was retained to conduct a Warehouse Location Network Optimization Study. The factors analyzed included:

• Customer demand by product and service level requirements
• Plant locations, number of lines, production costs, and supplier locations
• Location, costs, and sizes of warehouses
• Transportation modes and costs for each location
• List of products and their attributes

The WCL Consulting Warehouse Location Network Optimization Report was used by KMC’s Logistics Department to make the best decision for a Southeast Region warehouse location. The feedback from KMC indicated that they felt the WCL Report was an excellent management decision tool.