Summer’s a busy time for one major paper products company, what with all those outdoor get-togethers…and the rest of the year’s a picnic, too, with DSC Logistics to keep their entire supply chain running smoothly. DSC, the company’s logistics partner, managed it all—raw goods to the plant, finished goods to the warehouse and from there to the customer and sometimes to the end user—whatever the season.

The five DSC-operated Logistics Centers operated at 100 percent capacity…and at 100 percent efficiency. When we took over the company’s transportation management, we corrected inefficiencies to establish control of their inventory and of inventory deployment. We used DSC’s Warehouse Management System (WMS) to provide a more accurate picture of available stock and to coordinate inbound finished goods with outbound orders.

The Logistics Centers all operated with multiple overflow sites—one location even had five overflow buildings—and we set up a more efficient operation at each location. To fill an order, of course, stock had to be brought from multiple buildings to the main shipping point. We created customized programs to help align appropriate SKUs to the right building at the right time to ensure case fill and on time delivery.

In one instance, we managed high security items for a fast food conglomerate’s Monopoly game, creating a special caged security area where game pieces were stored.

We developed an efficient transportation network that simplified the complexity of running plant shuttles, shuttles from overflow sites to the primary facility, transfers of product from one Logistics Center to another, and the challenge of meeting customer delivery expectations. All trailers, both inbound and outbound from our LCs, were tracked on DSC’s eBoard, our proprietary yard management system, so that there was complete visibility to all product.

The major paper products company’s supply chain ran smoothly because we established efficient operations and never stopped looking for additional opportunities to help our customer increase efficiency and drive down costs. We were able to handle the company’s seasonal spikes in volume with our constant preparation and flexible, well-trained workforce. At DSC, meeting customers’ goals is an endeavor for all seasons. It’s what we’re about, 100 percent of the time.