March Madness
March Madness is in full swing and the big NCAA Basketball Tournament officially begins today. Although Tuesday and Wednesday play host to a couple of play-in games, the true madness begins on Thursday. Starting at 11am, 16 games will be played throughout the course of the day, eliminating 25% of the tournament field. On Friday, the other 32 teams will battle it out and an additional 25% of the tournament field will be sent packing. On Saturday, the 16 winners from Thursday’s games will all play their respective second round match-ups in hopes of making to the Sweet 16. Finally, on Sunday, Friday’s winners will all play their round 2 games, leaving only 16 teams after the final buzzer sounds. In just 4 quick days, 48 teams are eliminated. DONE. Season Over. Now, that’s what you call MADNESS, and it’s exactly what sports fans love.
One of the most exciting events as a sports fan is filling out a March Madness bracket and trying to beat your buddies, co-workers and relatives. Every year I look at my empty bracket with false hope, thinking that I actually know who is going to win and who the National Champion will be. The truth is that college basketball is filled with emotion, strategy, skill and momentum, leaving most of these games up in the air for anyone’s taking.
Sure, you’re most likely not going to see a #16 seed take down a #1 seed in the first round, but in round two you may very well see a #2 seed fall to a #7 or #10 seed. So, what does this have to do with finding a pallet rack distributor? Not a whole lot, but I did find at least one connection.
March Madness — Pallet Rack Style
The main goal of picking a college basketball bracket is to make sure you get the Final Four teams and Champion correct. These four teams will make or break your bracket, so choose carefully. In the same sense, when searching for a pallet rack distributor for your warehouse project, you’ll want to narrow your search to 3 or 4 major businesses that are capable of making the big dance and providing the right products for your needs. In the end, you want to do your due diligence and find the right pallet rack distributor for you and your business. Choosing the incorrect distributor could be harmful to your business, or in March Madness terms, “bust your bracket”.
The Strategy
When choosing the top team from each region, you want to research carefully. This is because there are a few specific things to look for in teams that have the best chance of getting to the big dance and winning your office bracket pool.
First and foremost, you want to look at their track record. How did they do in the regular season? How about their conference tournament? Looking at a team’s record will tell you a lot about them. Likewise, when searching for a pallet rack distributor, you want to look for a company that has done business with companies similar to yours in the past. Don’t be afraid to ask for references and see who they’ve already successfully worked with. This will give you great insight into the company, and will verify that they are who they say they are.
Next, you want to look at coaching. What kind of strategy, leadership and reputation does this coach have? Year after year you tend to see the same college basketball coaches coach their teams to the final rounds of the tournament. Why is this? It’s because each of them coaches a school with a tremendous reputation, work ethic and drive to succeed. Finding a pallet rack distributor with great leadership, sound company morals and a positive, well-known online reputation is key. You want to know that the team you are going to work with on this project will do what is best for your business, not just “win at all costs.”
Finally, you want to look at the team. Who are the players you’re putting your trust in to uphold your reputation and pride? Are they a bunch of young, All-American freshman? Are they experienced seniors who are giving it one last run, or maybe just a well-rounded team that delivers a little of everything? To be honest, I don’t have the knowledge to give you any reliable advice when it comes to NCAA brackets, and I’m not sure there is a right answer as to what kind of team you should pick. What I can tell you, though, is that when choosing the right pallet rack distributor, there is definitely a right answer: a well-rounded team that has the staff and resources to provide you with the best opportunity to succeed. Choosing a one-man band or an inexperienced warehouse designer with limited resources will only hurt your company and project in the long run. The same holds true for choosing a used rack house to “make something work,” which is a clear sign of trouble ahead.
In Summary, make sure to choose AK Material Handling Systems for your next Pallet Rack project so you won’t end up with a busted bracket after the first weekend!
Thanks for reading.
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About AK Material Handling Systems
We deliver value to our customers by providing the absolute best combination of quality products, helpful customer service and competitive pricing. We specialize in warehouse layout & design, pallet rack systems, engineered sales, mezzanines, modular offices and completed turn-key warehouse systems. For more information email us or call (800) 722-5908