Hi. Can i get replies to these posts?

1.Why should quantitative models be used in addition to any qualitative analysis that may be conducted?

In the pharmaceutical market, the delivery of products on-time to customers is essential. The selection of the location needs to be in an area that could cover the East and Midwest of the United States. There are various factors to take into consideration including; location (proximity to manufacturing locations), logistics (close to highways, ports, airports, etc.), warehouse pricing, availability of resources, employee labor and available tax incentives in the area. One location to consider is Atlanta, Georgia, since it has the busiest airport in the world and the third largest growing population. Another location to consider would be central New Jersey as it is ranked ninth in the country for the size of industrial availability rates. Another nearby consideration would be Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where its industrial economy is exploding and also located on the I-95 corridor.

Another potential option is to use a quality third party logistics (3PL) that can comply with the pharmaceutical regulations such as Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) standards from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For example, Kanban Logistics specializes in pharmaceutical logistics. It is located in Eastern North Carolina with more than 1,000,000 sq. ft. of climate-controlled warehousing space.

2. Some qualitative factors I would consider:

- Access to roads & highways - Trucks will be able to deliver and ship much easier

- Proximity to airports/railways/ports - Reduces transit time to the center as well as vice versa.

- Warehouse layout - this can affect warehouse productivity. Dock doors, walls/pillars, and ceiling height will all need to be considered. Dock doors that are located either left or right of the warehouse increase labor as it does not create easy access to store/retrieve items in the corner. If there are any walls/pillars that may interfere with forklift movement, this can increase throughput. If the ceiling height is too low, managing space will be difficult.

- Rent & taxes - If rent and taxes are too high at that location, it will create high fixed costs

- General location - if the warehouse is located on the mountains or in a forestry area, this will make transportation difficult. If the warehouse is located in the heart of the city, there will be too much traffic and will delay transit.

Quantitative models should be used in addition to qualitative analysis. Specifically to this example, a quantitative model will help assign a weight factor for each quality and this helps prioritize the importance of each. In general, quantitative data helps support qualitative analysis. Quantitative models help businesses identify trends, statistics, or outliers. This can not only help identify areas of improvement but can also aid in future planning with a forecast trend.

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