The quality of service that a manufacturer or retailer can provide to its customers requires a distribution network with warehouses strategically located in the right places. It also requires highly efficient operations within these warehouses. Nippon Express USA provides both capabilities to a long list of major companies that have correctly concluded that planning and operating a distribution network is not their core competency. They have achieved a high level of customer service relying on a customized network carved out from Nippon Express USA's 62 North American Warehouse and Distribution Centers (DCs).

Before Nippon Express USA takes on any warehousing customer, it studies that company's order patterns, inventory needs, transportation flows and overall requirements. Using sophisticated modeling tools and its deep logistics expertise, Nippon Express USA will plan a strategic distribution network from among its 62 North American warehouses that optimizes service levels and minimize costs.

The key determination is the right number and location of DCs. The more centralized the inventory, the lower the inventory requirements and the more efficient the fulfillment process, but the higher the transportation costs. With inventory dispersed over many warehouses, customer service levels and delivery times increase, but so do inventory carrying costs. Of course, requirements can change quickly, and Nippon Express USA dynamically looks at your distribution patterns to adjust your network. With Nippon Express USA as your warehousing and distribution partner, it will constantly maintain the right balance of stock locations to meet your cost and service requirements.

Distribution Centers
Nippon Express USA's North American DC network consists of 62 warehouses with a total of 3.9 million square feet of operating space. No matter how simple or complex your storage, fulfillment and logistics needs, Nippon Express USA can configure the most effective distribution network from among these facilities. With a wide assortment of material handling equipment, logistics capabilities, a state-of-the-art warehousing management system (WMS) and other technology, operations at each facility are highly efficient.

Inventory Control and Fulfillment
For most companies, order fulfillment is the most important single function, because it produces the revenue and should build strong customer relationships. Poorly executed order fulfillment can also be one of the most error-prone processes in the supply chain, and can damage customer relationships. In fact, recent industry benchmarking surveys on fulfillment show that on average only 78 percent of orders are "perfect," meaning the order is complete, on time and undamaged. For Nippon Express USA, the perfect order score targets 100 percent.