“How to Design a Distribution Center” by Darrell Watkins is an easy to follow, step-by-step guide on how to effectively design and budget for a new distribution center. It is a carefully curated and thought out manual that will make life easier for you and your logistics team. This is the tool you will need to confidently present a total warehousing and distribution center solution to your Executive Leadership, Board of Directors or Potential Investors. The “How to Design” process helps you define the scope of the distribution operation, identify the capital and operational costs, and present your results. It explains everything so simply, that getting lost is not an option. It is the perfect road map to the new logistics engineer, or the experienced leader looking for a simple way to communicate project scope, expectations and requirements to their project team. This book covers a lot of ground, and while that may seem daunting to some, Watkins’ experience and delightfully sprinkled anecdotes throughout keep the reader engaged and able to comprehend. With a focus on efficiency and avoiding “reinventing the wheel”, a project of considerable magnitude is broken down into simple steps that are easily replicated. Along with the “How to Design” book, buyers are given the Excel workbook that Watkins references throughout that is essential to creating your Distribution Center solution. The workbook is pre-populated with time-tested formulas so all you have to do is input your own information and let the computer do the work. Very rarely does this kind of easy-to-use material fall into your lap, and it is too good of an opportunity to pass up. There is no stone left unturned here; it includes everything you need to present a finished product and build a budget piece by piece. Also included is a pre-formatted PowerPoint template to present a professional looking executive proposal. On every slide is a short summary of what information to include and which chart to add from your workbook. What would originally take months can now be done in a matter of days, letting you focus on the important things, like making good decisions based on hard facts. With over 20 years in the logistics industry, Watkins has made “Designing a Distribution Center” efficient and easy to comprehend. What was once an overwhelming task is now as simple as inputting information in a spreadsheet. If you are unsure where to start, how to proceed, or even how to help your teammates, this is the book for you.