Warehouse Reorganization Doubles Inventory Capacity

DURHAM, NC—Warehouse Supervisor, Daniel Bollenbach, and Buyer, Stephen Hoffman, worked together to completely reorganize Central State Industrial’s (CSI’s) East Region Warehouse.

In October 2016, the two collaborated on ideas and implemented changes that doubled CSI’s warehouse inventory, capacity, and availability. The result is a dramatically reduced waiting time for CSI’s regional customers.

The success relied on details, both large and small. Stephen said that little things, like moving a shelf two inches, made all the difference. Small shifts in the layout allowed for two new cantilever racks for tubing and 44 shelf units for smaller items.

Stephen and Daniel eliminated 30 locations and were able to create 700 locations in their place, creating over 1,000 new locations to stock products. Before the reorganization, WH2 stocked 20,000 individual fittings, but after the two-week reorganization process, the capacity increased to 100,000 individual fittings.

Processes were also updated and improved. Daniel and Stephen utilized a flow to avoid backtrack, improving productivity further. The recent implementation of a RF system now allows employees to use an electronic scanner to track inventory, increasing accuracy and speed.

Employees worked diligently during the reorganization time frame, allowing for zero lost productivity.

Before

After