How a regional steel fabricator reduced jobsite hardware runs by 95% and lowered total inventory holding costs.
South Sound Steel was losing dozens of foreman hours each month to emergency hardware runs for A325 structural bolts, grade 8 cap screws, and magnetic drill bits. Their previous national vendor suffered continuous stockouts and pushed overstocked items to meet commission targets.
Zero hardware-related production delays across 18 consecutive months
Over 450 customized barcoded bin drawers installed and organized
Automated weekly restocking managed by non-commissioned route specialists
Consolidated monthly invoicing reducing purchase order processing overhead
Northwest Fasteners audited high-wear hardware lines and established precise min/max thresholds per bay.
Installed heavy-duty color-coded bin shelving with high-visibility part numbers and scannable barcodes.
Assigned a dedicated route specialist to perform weekly barcode scans and replenish consumed stock.
Direct will-call staging at the Lakewood facility for rapid contractor pickup when unexpected spikes occur.
"Northwest Fasteners set up our entire bin management system. Their non-commissioned drivers keep our bins full without overstocking us. It eliminated assembly line downtime completely."
DMDan MillerPlant Manager, South Sound Steel
We can set up a custom Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) bin system in your facility. Request a free on-site hardware audit today.
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