If your business distributes thousands of SKU’s to a high volume of customers, your storage facility’s layout and material handling fleet will determine your operational efficiency and revenue. When these key elements are planned and designed correctly, many companies have experienced an increase in sales as a result.
One of Barclay’s prospects, now a client, came to us after receiving unsatisfactory guidance from another forklift truck provider. They wanted to sell them a truck……we sold them a solution. The company was a small, local company that specialized in outdoor water sports and provided lessons as well. Here’s a closer look at how Barclay Brand Ferdon solved this client’s fulfillment issues.
The Initial Challenge
Like many small companies, this client made a strategic business decision to sell their products on Amazon. Their sales exploded exponentially, and they soon outgrew their initial retail space. Their next logical need was more space. They purchased a 70,000-square-foot warehouse, hoping to simultaneously increase their inventory and optimize online order fulfillment.
An increase in sales is great, however, there was not a Warehouse 101 crash course to help them plan for this important phase of growth. They had thousands of products to organize and store, ranging from expensive dive watches to beachfront apparel. Their priority was to sort inventory, fulfill orders and ship out on time.
This company found a solution in product racking and palletizing. When they reached out to one forklift-truck provider, our client did not receive a solution. Our client received a proposal for trucks and materials, but no plan or direction. This was not a solution. With this type of guidance, our client would never have been able to keep up with the fast pace of their Amazon orders.
Our Effective Solutions
It was clear that they needed a second opinion from a reliable solution provider. Barclay was their choice. We wasted no time. First, we started by addressing their need for efficient order picking. The natural, perfect solution was the Yale OS030EF Order Selector. With this powerful piece of equipment, their employees would be able to order pick multiple, large and small items from multiple levels while remaining safe and efficient at all times.
To boost our client’s productivity levels even further, we recommended utilizing a Yale model MO25. Designed for low-level order picking, this piece of equipment would allow employees to pick stock-keeping units (SKUs) from the picking “sweet spot” -first two lower levels of the inventory racks. The MO25 is designed for efficient picking from both sides of the aisle, and also doubles as an end rider by transporting pallets from their docks to the racks.
Our last recommendation was to invest in a Yale MPB045VG power jack and the Mariotti ME AC Series lift truck. With this full truck configuration, they perfected their picking strategy with the Yale Order Picker and Yale Low Level Order Picker, increased the dock to rack efficiency with multiple trucks instead of just one, enabled them to load and unload trucks and have the ability to create narrow aisles for their racking based upon the width requirements and specifications of all the equipment. Every inch of a warehouse is money……use it wisely.
A Trusted Partner for Material Handling Operations
By partnering with Barclay Brand Ferdon, our client not only came away with a revamped warehouse, but we also set them up with a perfect solution: A cost-effective racking system, a picking strategy plan and multi-purpose trucks that they needed to continue supplying products on Amazon. Thanks to our solutions, they paid less upfront and are slated to save money over time. To learn how our NJ-based company can provide your business the most efficient, cost effective solution, contact Barclay Brand Ferdon today for a free quote.
