This document summarizes a study on the challenges faced in warehouse operations for the retail company Pantaloons. Some key findings of the study include: - Employees lacked awareness of the different sources and categories of stock received at the warehouse. - There was no clear process for receiving different types of stock like vendor products versus central distribution center products. - The warehouse lacked trained employees and faced issues like missing/discrepant stock and delays in replenishing retail floors. - Limited and unhygienic warehouse space demotivated workers. - IT systems like barcode scanners and SAP software faced problems causing delays. The study concluded with suggestions like improving employee training, separating receiving zones by

1. “FINDING CHALLENGES IN WAREHOUSE OPERATION
IN RETAIL INDUSTRY-A STUDY ON PANTALOONS”
A Report Submitted to
Asian School of Business Management
BY
AMIYA MOHANTY
PGDM/14-16/10
Under the guidance of
Corporate guide Faculty guide
MR.SARASWAT SWAIN
ASSISTANT STORE MANAGER
PANTALOONS FASHION AND RETAIL
LIMITED,ADITYA BIRLA GROUP,BHUBANESWAR
PROF. M N SAMANTARAY
PGP CHAIRMAN
ASIAN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT,BHUBANESWAR

2. INTRODUCTION
 India is the third-most attractive retail market for global retailers
among the 30 largest emerging markets.
 In the organized retail market in India, the role of supply chain is very
important.
 Indian customer demands at affordable prices a verity of product mix.
 Warehouse operations are considered to be the important aspect of
retailers in the modern retailing scenario.
 Pantaloons is focusing on effective warehouse operations for
satisfying customers.
 The challenge of warehouse operations to retailers like Pantaloons
becomes an important area for research.

3. RATIONALE OF THE STUDY
 Warehouse operation is becoming more critical activity in the supply
chain to gain competitive advantage on customer service, lead time
and cost. Therefore, the study was carried out to get a clear picture of
warehouse operations and challenges faced by retail outlets.
 This study would serve as the basis for understanding challenges
faced due to warehouse operations and give a picture of effect of
such operations on retailers like Pantaloons.
 It will be interesting to investigate challenges of supply chain
management faced by other retailers as warehouse management is
the essential part to cost efficiency.

4. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
To give an overview of challenges faced by retail
industry in supply chain management.
To find the challenges of warehouse operations
faced by Pantaloons in Bhubaneswar.
To analyse the solutions to the problems faced by
Pantaloons.

5. HYPOTHESIS
• Null Hypothesis: There is no difference in frequency of receiving
stock at warehouse from various categories (sources) of supplies.
• Alternative Hypothesis: There is a difference in frequency of
receiving stock at warehouse from various categories (sources) of
supplies.

6. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
 The study was carried out to get a clear picture of warehouse
operations and challenges faced by retail outlets.
 This study would serve as the basis for understanding challenges
faced due to warehouse operations and give a picture of effect of
such operations on retailers like Pantaloons.
 It will be interesting to investigate challenges of supply chain
management faced by other retailers as warehouse management is
the essential part to cost efficiency.

7. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
 The research was done in one store so it was impossible to take a
comprehensive view of challenges faced by other retail stores.
 As only Pantaloons in Bhubaneswar is dealt in the study, it may not
represent the view of the total retail market.
 Not all areas of supply chain management were considered for the
study. Therefore, a comprehensive comparison was not possible.
 The sample size of 60 was considered for the study where a larger
sample size is required for future studies.

8. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is used to search answers of the research
questions.
An attempt has been made by warehouse operations challenges
faced by the staff members of Pantaloons in retailing the study of the
samples.
Research Design: In this project, the model prepared for designing
the research is the descriptive method.
Data Collection :Collected both secondary and primary sources of
data for the study.
 Sampling Unit :Staff members who are ought to be involved in
warehouse operations at pantaloons.
 Sample Size :The study covered 60 employees such as warehouse
assistants, warehouse managers and pantaloons Sales Staff.

9. Source: Primary Data
It was found from the above table & figure that majority of the respondents were
having knowledge that the stock was received from vendor as well as Central
Distribution Centre. It was surprising to figure out that many were not aware of the
source of stock generation.
Categories Frequency
Per cent
Central distribution
centre 8
13
Vendor 14
23
Both 29
49
Can’t say 9
15
Total 60
100
Categories of stock received
RESULT/ANALYSIS
13%
23%
49%
15%
CDC VENDOR BOTH CANT SAY

10. RESULT/ANALYSIS
Frequency of stock received
Source: primary data
It was from the figure that the employees receive the products daily as the stock belongs to in-
house product whereas others felt that the stocks weekly because they belongs to non apps
category.25% of the employees receive the stocks monthly because they belongs to vendor
category.
Duration Frequency
Per cent
Daily 32
53
Weekly 13
25
Monthly 15
22
Quarterly 0
0
Total 60
100
53%
22%
25%
0%
DAILY WEEKLY MONTHLY QUATERLY

11. RESULT/ANALYSIS
Frequency of stock received from sources of supplies
Single factor ANNOVA used to test the hypothesis
It clearly states that the null hypothesis is accepted as F-statistics of 1.34 on (2, 5) degrees of freedom for
which p-value is 0.34
Source: Primary data
Sources of supplies Frequency of stock received
Daily Weekly Monthly Total
CDC 29
(100%)
0 0 29
(100%)
Vendor 3
(33.3%)
2
(22.2%)
4
(44.5%)
9
(100%)
Both (CDC & Vendor) 0 5
(62.5%)
3
(37.5%)
8
(100%)
Can’t say 0 6
(43%)
8
(57%)
14
(100%)
Source of
Variation
SS df MS F P-value F crit
Between
Groups
193.3333 2 96.66667 1.340111 0.341972 5.786135
Within
Groups
360.6667 5 72.13333
Total 554 7

12. CONCLUSION & SUGGESTION
 Employees were not aware of sources or categories of the stocks received at the
warehouse.
 The organization could have considered implementing it modules so it may help
determine location source and identify various stocks relating to SKU (STOCK
KEEPING UNIT) and its quantity.
 They were not interested to inward small lots of vendor products.
 The organization could have opted for different in-warding zones for vendors, non-
apps products and CDC/MDC/Madura fashion products .
 Lack of trained manpower in the warehouse.
 The organisation would focus on giving proper training to people working in
warehouse & creating awareness among staffs.
 Stocks are missing or there is a discrepancy in received packets.
 Consignee would have taken more responsibility & created a warning systems for
the shortage of stock.

13. CONCLUSION & SUGGESTION
 Lack of knowledge and training, the replenishment has attained a greater lead
time.
 The respective departmental managers create the awareness among the
staff members for timely replenishment process which will lead to less stock out
in the retail floor.
 The space is limited as well as lack ventilation which is creating unhygienic
conditions to work .It demotivated the workers to work in warehouse.
 Pantaloons may look into this aspect of designing space and creating hygienic
condition.
 IT tools were giving problems like no proper input from barcode scanner,
slowdown of SAP software, frequent server down etc.
 Concentrate of proper maintenance of the equipment in scheduled manner to
help smooth completion of the work.

14. 4
11
2
712
8 3
10 9
1419
18 15
17 16
2227
26 23
25 24
30
31
32
1
561320212829
ENTRY
INWARDING
ZONE
OUTWARD ZONE
PMM ,INF & PENDING ZONE
DEFECTIVE ZONE
LADIES ETHNIC
LADIES WESTERN
OUTWARD ZONE
WORK STATION
GROUND FLOOR MAIN WAREHOUSE 32 SLOTTED ANGLE RACK

15. &