Case Studies

Value-added services on west coast help importer prep products for mass retail customers

FETCO markets picture frames through mass retailers.  The product is manufactured in Asia and comes via ocean freight into Southern California.  FETCO, which did not have a west coast location, asked Flex Solutions to offload containers at Flex’s Ontario, CA warehouse and cross dock the product to WalMart and Target DCs and stores.  Quality problems at the supplier required Flex to inspect shipments (containers had between 7,000-10,000 small cases of different picture frames) and place price tags on each individual picture frame, as required by Target and Wal-Mart.  Each case then received a store-specific UCC label and pallets were assembled and shipped to retail DCs.  All work was done within a 72-hour window from receipt of container.

Expedited container unloading helps The Acco Corporation move office supplies to U.S. customers

ACCO Brands Corporation is one of the world’s largest suppliers of branded office products.  Flex was asked to handle Acco’s large volume of containerized product coming into Southern California.  Flex adapted its operations to receive and unload as many as 15 containers a day, each with 380 to 11,000 cases and as many as 48 products per container.  FLEX also provides Acco with 60,000 square feet of storage, outbound shuttle service, and 24-hour yard truck service with our dedicated yard tractor.  Today, Flex receives and stores about four containers and day and cross docks an additional six containers a day for Acco.

E-fulfillment solution supports rapid growth of Agent 18’s online business

Agent 18 makes cases that protect Apple iPods.  The company’s warehouse systems were unable to support Agent 18’s rapid growth and internet sales were being jeopardized.  The company sought a logistics partner that could not only handle product storage and fulfillment but could work directly, and quickly, with its web staff to develop an EDI program to receive orders directly from the web storefront.   In just two weeks, Flex’s in-house IT staff had the EDI interface up and running.  Orders collected from Agent 18’s website now download into Flex’s warehouse management system to be pulled and shipped same day.  Shipping information, including tracking numbers, are then uploaded to Agent 18’s website for customer viewing. 

Precise inventory control helps bottle company supply manufacturing lines of beverage customers

Ball produces plastic containers and preforms in a variety of shapes and sizes for use by carbonated beverage, bottled water, juice, and other important beverage customers.  The company originally used four different food-grade warehouse partners on the west coast, including Flex Logistics, to store product for just-in-time shipment to the manufacturing production lines of Pepsi and its other customers.  Critical provider requirements included lot control, quarantined product control, and inventory accuracy.  Flex manages all such requirements on its proprietary warehouse management system, capable of FIFO picking and tracking goods by lot.  Flex’s performance on all key metrics led Ball to reduce its number of outside providers. Flex is now Ball’s primary California warehouse partner, managing about 175 truckloads in and out of the warehouse every month. 

Storage and inventory management solution supports just-in-time delivery to Hewlett-Packard manufacturing

Foam Fabricators provides a variety of industries with shape-molded and fabricated foam products, packaging and components.  The company asked Flex to assist in a new contract with Hewlett-Packard -- a project that required 24/7 operations and  “just-in-time” delivery of material to HP’s manufacturing plant in Ontario, California. Flex had to take orders directly from HP and have the product pulled and delivered to the HP assembly line within two hours.  Any delays to the manufacturing line due to product shortage would result in a $10,000-per-hour charge back.  FLEX works closely with Foam Fabricators to ensure adequate inventory levels.  Since the program’s inception in 2002, there has not been a single charge back or missed delivery. 

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Need Southern California Logistics?

Contact Flex Logistics to discuss your need for warehousing or freight services in Southern California.

 

Need Southern California Logistics?

Contact Flex Logistics to discuss your need for warehousing or freight services in Southern California.

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Rapid response container unloading relieves supply chain bottleneck for major consumer products company

The Holmes Group is a $700 million, multi-brand, global corporation focused on the small appliance market. The company came to Flex in a bind.  Its current warehouse provider could not keep pace with an increasing number of inbound containers and Holmes was at risk with its largest customers.  FLEX was asked to unload, inventory, and store 200 containers in two weeks, and then maintain that volume for the next 10 months. FLEX acted quickly, putting two unloading teams on the swing shift.  Each team was capable of unloading 10-15 containers a shift.  Flex received more the 30,000 cartons per shift. All deliveries received during any part of the day were put away by the following morning.  During this 10-month period, FLEX handled a major return project for which 30,000 fans had to be re-packaged in new boxes and re-shipped.  Impressed by Flex’s responsive service and “get the job done” attitude, The Holmes Group continues to work with Flex on a variety of projects. 

Flex adds product testing capability in the warehouse to reduce transportation costs to JBL / Harman Multimedia

JBL/Harman Multimedia is the leading provider of multimedia computer audio products.
For a 10-year period, FLEX managed all overflow storage in Southern California for JBL Consumer Products, and was that company’s primary carrier for finished goods in the region.  During this time, Flex provided 60,000 square feet of overflow space for Harman’s main warehouse in Rancho Cucamonga, CA and worked with Harmon to unload inbound containers, inspect product, distribute finished goods and handle returns. Harman was so satisfied with Flex’s service, they asked Flex to establish a product testing center in the warehouse to mimic Harman’s testing center in Texas.  Having a local center in California would cut transportation costs significantly. Flex established the center, where trained staff tested returned product from buyers and finished goods from Asia, then separated the returns for redistribution or destruction. 

Rapid response warehousing and transportation solution enables small appliance company to take on new $50 million product line

The Purcell Murray Company (PMC) is a distributor of premium kitchen and bath products.  When the company was granted distribution rights for the Thermador line of kitchen appliances, it was done on one condition -- that Thermador could close its distribution warehouse within days after signing the contract.  This would require PMC to relocate over 100 truckloads of existing inventory within a few days and, at the same time, begin receiving product from Thermador’s manufacturing partner.  Enter Flex Logistics. Within one day, Flex and PMC management worked out a solution that would make the deal with Thermador possible. Product began moving the next day. FLEX’s fleet provided all transportation and relocated more then 60,000 square feet of product (literally hundreds of thousands of items) and had it ready for shipping within two weeks.  The program, scheduled to last six months, continued for eighteen months until PMC’s new showroom and warehouse was ready.  Over that eighteen month span, FLEX stored and distributed more the $75 million of inventory without one lost item. 

Flex reconfigures pallets for housewares company to support sales to warehouse club stores

Warehouse club stores often have very specific directions for how they want pallets configured for display on the retail floor.  Manufacturers must be able to quickly and efficiently build such pallets to keep these large customers happy. One such housewares maker uses Flex Logistics to build custom pallets for Costco.  Multiple SKUs of kitchen mixers are combined on a single pallet, with a different color mixer on each row.  Flex first carefully engineered the most efficient workflow, trained the team, and inspected the finished pallet to assure high-quality, high-output results.  Each pallet receives a distinct, Costco-specific SKU and label prior to shipping. 

Light assembly solution helps Kawasaki increase sales of heavy duty weed whackers

Kawasaki needed to install a heavier duty clutch on about 500 basic weed whackers.  To avoid transportation and other outside costs, Kawasaki asked Flex to handle the complex assembly project in the warehouse.  Flex assigned a project lead, who worked with Kawasaki to understand the requirements.  The process involved disassembling and reassembling the shaft, clutch unit and cables that made up the clutch sub-assembly.  Once the new weed wacker was completed and tested, Flex attached a new serial number, relabeled the unit and the box, and placed the unit back into inventory.