Home Keystone Audit Network Optimization WPI RouteIQ Results About Start a Conversation

Results

The work speaks in numbers, not promises.

Two engagements with the same national building materials distributor — one focused on operational accountability across 7 facilities, the other on network expansion to de-risk a single-facility dependency. Both produced measurable outcomes.

WPI Keystone

Operational Accountability Across 7 Distribution Centers

A national building materials distributor with 7 distribution centers and approximately 500 employees needed to close the gap between what leadership believed was happening and what was actually happening on the floor.

The Challenge

Inconsistent safety and quality standards Each facility ran its own version of compliance — different checklists, different expectations, no common scoring framework.
No visibility across facilities Leadership had no way to compare performance between locations on the same scale. Problems stayed local until they became crises.
Findings without follow-through Audit findings went into meeting notes or spreadsheets. Corrective actions were assigned but never tracked to closure. The same issues resurfaced quarter after quarter.
Rising damage and shrinkage costs Product damage and inventory shrinkage were climbing across the network with no structured accountability system to identify root causes.

Results & Impact

30%

Reduction in Recordable Incident Rate

Structured safety audits with weighted scoring and corrective action tracking drove sustained improvement across all 7 facilities.

$675K

Reduction in Damage & Shrinkage

Process standardization and accountability systems reduced product damage and inventory loss network-wide.

10%

Reduction in Cost per Pound Shipped

Operational efficiency improvements across receiving, stocking, pulling, and loading processes.

7

Facilities · ~500 Employees

Methodology deployed network-wide with consistent audit standards, scoring, and corrective action pipelines.

Learn about WPI Keystone →
WPI Network Optimization

A Single Facility at Its Breaking Point — Expanded to Two

The same national building materials distributor faced a critical concentration risk: one facility in Allentown handling the vast majority of volume, with its largest customer demanding supply chain protection.

The Challenge

70% customer concentration risk The largest customer demanded supply chain protection if the Allentown facility were ever disrupted.
Over-capacity Incoming inventory and outgoing shipments exceeded safe limits at the Allentown DC.
Escalating safety hazards Trip risks, blocked fire equipment, dangerously stacked inventory.
Rising operational costs Forced overtime, incentive pay, and 3rd-party trucking fees to keep up with volume the facility wasn't designed to handle.

Process & Project Steps

1
Assessed immediate & long-term needsEngaged Logistics and Operations leaders to map capacity gaps across all time horizons.
2
Analyzed customer dataMapped customer locations, shipment volumes, weight, and margin to build a heat map of demand — identifying Amherst, NH as the optimal expansion site.
3
Determined split-off volumeCalculated exact routes and shipped weight to offload from the Allentown DC to the new Amherst facility.
4
Site selection & business caseEvaluated build-to-suit, modified, and turnkey options in NH; developed full financial case with Finance.
5
Executed transition planCoordinated architects, builders, inventory migration, and seamless customer cutover to the Amherst DC.

Results & Impact

100%

Key Customer Satisfaction

Largest customer — representing 70% of DC volume — fully satisfied with the de-risking solution.

$1.5M

Logistics Expense Reduction

Eliminated 3rd-party trucking costs and overtime incentives by right-sizing each facility's workload.

SAFE

Allentown DC Restored to Safe Operations

Reduced inventory to safe levels — hazards, blocked aisles, and unstable stacking eliminated.

Beyond the Numbers

Faster Delivery to New England Customers

Amherst, NH DC significantly reduced transit times — customers now receive orders on time and in full.

Growth Capacity at Both Locations

Allentown and Amherst both have headroom to independently grow sales volume.

Supply Chain Resilience

No single-facility dependency — the network is protected against disruption at either location.

✓ Network De-Risked & Positioned for Growth
Learn about WPI Network Optimization →

Your operation has a version of these problems. Let's find out how big they are.

Every engagement starts with a conversation — not a contract. Tell us what you're dealing with, and we'll tell you honestly whether we can help.

Start a Conversation

cdeboer@wolverinepi.com · 616-862-3080