Case Studies

Steris Medical Corporation:

The Challenge

STERIS was struggling with chronic back orders that had accumulated over nearly three years. Poor production scheduling, inaccurate inventory data, misaligned material releases, and weak communication with customers were causing frequent missed ship dates and constant firefighting in both planning and warehousing.

My Role & Approach: As Warehouse Supervisor and Assistant Production Planner, I led a cross-functional team to turn the situation around by focusing on upstream planning discipline:

  • Conducted a thorough planning systems audit

  • Redesigned the production scheduling cadence and capacity alignment

  • Implemented constraint-based material releases

  • Introduced daily visibility rhythms and decision-focused analytics

  • Applied targeted Lean and 5S improvements in the warehouse to support better flow

The Results (Achieved in 4 months)

  • Cleared nearly 3 years of accumulated back orders

  • Expedites reduced by 65%

  • Schedule stability improved from 42% to 89%

  • Inventory turns increased by 28%

  • On-time delivery rose from 71% to 94%

  • Major customer (Henry Schein) improved our vendor rating from one of the worst to the 3rd best overall

Key Takeaway: Stable upstream planning and disciplined execution can rapidly eliminate chronic backlogs — even in complex, regulated medical manufacturing environments. When planning improves, logistics, inventory accuracy, and customer satisfaction follow.

Shore Manufacturing:

The Challenge

Shore Manufacturing was struggling with unstable production schedules, outdated paper-based planning systems, low inventory accuracy, and poor visibility into capacity and material needs. These issues led to frequent schedule changes, growing backorders, missed due dates, and reactive operations across planning, purchasing, and warehousing.

My Role & Approach: As a 6-month contract consultant serving as Master Production Scheduler & Purchasing Coordinator, I was brought in to stabilize planning and improve operational discipline. I:

  • Designed and implemented a new digital Master Production Scheduling (MPS) framework, replacing the previous paper-based system

  • Integrated AI-assisted forecasting and scenario analysis to identify bottlenecks and improve responsiveness to demand changes

  • Expanded production visibility by 5 weeks through structured scheduling cadence and forward-looking capacity planning

  • Increased inventory accuracy from ~70% to 95% by implementing daily cycle counts, 5S workplace organization, and double-check processes across shipping/receiving, production, and sales

  • Built and maintained daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules aligned with demand forecasts, capacity constraints, and material availability

  • Developed demand forecasts using historical data, open orders, and trend analysis to support S&OP processes

The Results (Achieved in 6 Months)

  • Inventory accuracy improved from ~70% to 95%

  • Backorders and missed due dates reduced by 21%

  • Production visibility extended by 5 weeks, enabling much earlier identification and resolution of issues

  • Transitioned from chaotic, paper-based scheduling to a modern digital MPS framework with AI-supported forecasting and scenario planning

  • Created significantly better alignment between demand, capacity, materials, and execution

Key Takeaway: Stable upstream planning combined with disciplined execution practices (such as daily cycle counting and 5S) can dramatically improve inventory accuracy, reduce backorders, and bring predictability to manufacturing operations.

SAFT America, Inc.

The Challenge

SAFT, a leading manufacturer of advanced battery and energy storage solutions, faced significant challenges in their Jacksonville warehouse and material flow operations. Inventory accuracy was low (~67%), material pull times were slow, warehouse layout was inefficient, and there was poor coordination between logistics and production scheduling. This created frequent delays in supporting production lines and increased risk with high-value and hazardous material handling.

My Role & Approach: As Logistics Supervisor & Material Planner, I was responsible for overseeing the entire warehouse and material flow operation, managing inventory assets valued at up to $50M USD. I led the following improvements:

  • Redesigned warehouse layout and pick logic to streamline material movement

  • Implemented structured cycle counting and process changes to improve inventory control

  • Directed inbound, outbound, and internal material flow, including hazardous materials shipments exceeding $1M USD in value

  • Strengthened coordination between logistics and operations leadership to better align material availability with production schedules

  • Established clearer processes for inventory accuracy, availability, and regulatory compliance

The Results (Achieved over ~1 Year)

  • Inventory accuracy improved from 67% to 94%(2100 different parts)

  • Material pull times reduced by 71% through optimized warehouse layout and pick logic

  • Significantly improved material availability to support production schedules

  • Enhanced control and accuracy over high-value inventory (~$50M USD) and hazardous material shipments

  • Created more reliable logistics operations with better cross-functional coordination

Key Takeaway: Effective warehouse layout, disciplined cycle counting, and strong alignment between logistics and production planning can dramatically improve inventory accuracy and material flow efficiency — even when handling high-value and hazardous materials.