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Home » Authors » Howard Coleman
Howard Coleman

Howard Coleman

Howard Coleman is the Principal of MCA Associates, a management consulting firm since 1986. MCA Associates works primarily with wholesale distribution companies that are seeking and are committed to operational excellence. Coleman and his staff of senior consultants provide operational excellence — idea-leadership — and implement continuous improvement solutions focused on business process re-engineering, inventory and supply chain management, sales development and revenue generation, information systems and technology, and organizational assessment and development.

Howard is also the creator of the podcast "Distribution on the Cusp of Metamorphosis."

MCA Associates can be contacted at their corporate office in Connecticut at (203) 906-7268 or by email at [email protected]. Visit their website at www.mcaassociates.com.

Articles

ARTICLES

TW0325_smart warehouse management system.jpg
Performance Management

3 Golden Rules for Increased DC/Warehouse Efficiency

Implementing these rules can significantly increase the speed of flow and control distribution operating costs.
March 3, 2025
Howard Coleman

Many companies strive for greater operational efficiency (increased throughput and labor efficiency) in their warehouse order fulfillment operations. 


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TW1024_warehouse inventory metrics.jpg
Performance Management

Another Look at Warehouse and DC Operational Metrics

Misalignment can lead to higher costs and reduced productivity, negatively impacting customer satisfaction.
October 2, 2024
Howard Coleman

This is a topic I think about at least twice a year, so this is not my first pass at it. What motivates me the most is the “speed of change” we find ourselves in and the need to adopt the most useful metrics. 


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Performance Management

The 3 Keys to Remaining Relevant

Hint: Change your mindset
August 29, 2024
Howard Coleman

In the March 2024 issue of my monthly newsletter, “MCA Talk,” I began to address the question of remaining relevant...


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TW0324_uncertain people.jpg
Performance Management

Embracing Uncertainty: A ‘Realm of Possibilities’

Your mindset is key to overcoming difficult circumstances and confidently facing the unknown.
March 4, 2024
Howard Coleman

Over the past few years, and especially during the COVID-19 era, we all heard so much about every “new normal,” terms such as “transformation,” “re-invention,” “rapid change,” “disruption,” “turbulence,” and the like. And, of course, the lack of new technology adoption by many companies.


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TW1223_fixed mindset vs. growth mindset.jpg
Performance Management

Change Your Mindset and Grow Your Business

How you choose to think will ultimately drive your actions, influence those around you and lead to real-world outcomes for your company.
December 4, 2023
Howard Coleman

If you’re a business owner (actually, you don’t even need to be an owner), the path to profitability includes you. Why?


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Performance Management

Recession Worries or Not?

The customer’s ‘buy signal’ from insight to action.
October 2, 2023
Howard Coleman

This column is focused on push vs. pull supply chains.


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TW0323_robotics-warehouse.jpg
Performance Management

Robotics Will Reshape DCs and Warehouses

It’s only the beginning, so take the time to learn about this technology and implement it at your facilities.
March 6, 2023
Howard Coleman

This past summer, while visiting a wholesale distributor’s distribution center (DC), I watched receiving personnel spend an afternoon unloading boxes from a tractor-trailer in nearly 100 F heat.


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TW1122_business success-innovation-reinvention.jpg
Performance Management

Don’t Call It Innovation: Burst That Bulb, Part 2

Why not reinvent your company?
November 4, 2022
Howard Coleman

In Part 1, I posited that innovation is something completely new or different being introduced that changes the marketplace — it’s one and done. 


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TW1022_exploding-lightbulb.jpg
Performance Management

Don’t Call It Innovation: Burst That Bulb, Part 1

You may mean improvement, but your employees will hear alarm bells. It’s time to stop using the word.
October 3, 2022
Howard Coleman

Research suggests that people react negatively to the word innovation. Some companies seem to be finding that using other terms helps employees engage more with the process.


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TW0722_robotic arm in warehouse.jpg
Performance Management

Four Key Success Factors for Human-Robot Collaboration

Distribution-focused operations are seeking to automate workflow operations and reduce the transaction costs of labor and time.
July 4, 2022
Howard Coleman

The use of robots is quickly evolving, especially in distribution-focused operations. 


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