Alpine Supply Chain Solutions’ New Facility Layout Empowers Bongards to Continue Meeting their Customers’ Cheese Needs
Alpine Supply Chain Solutions is thrilled to announce their new facility layout design for Bongards has led to increased productivity and better efficiency.
Bongards is a farmer-owned co-op that’s been around since 1908. They have unsurpassed cheese-making expertise, and today, some of the biggest names in retail, foodservice, and manufacturing turn to Bongards for wholesome, premium cheeses crafted to their unique specifications. Bongards has a long tradition of doing things right when it comes to servicing their customers and running their business, so when they noticed their growth was impacting their service levels, they knew they had to act.
The company reached out to Conveyor Solutions Inc. (CSI), a turnkey system integrator, to begin exploring physical equipment that could help them make better use of their space. CSI brought in Alpine Supply Chain Solutions to do a deep dive into the big picture: an overall facility layout.
“Conveyors, picking devices, and sortation systems can get expensive quickly,” says Kevin Thompson, West Coast Relations Builder for CSI. “We really wanted to make sure Bongards had a solid understanding of their volumes and order profiles which would drive their facility layout and physical equipment needs. This is an area where Alpine really shines, and we were glad to partner with them.”
Alpine analyzed Bongard’s inbound and outbound shipments, inventory on hand, available labor, and material handling equipment to understand their current business and future needs. They also performed a Storage Type Analysis (STA) to obtain detailed SKU data, including size, shape, and velocity in order to assign each SKU to its ideal storage location type based on its unique characteristics.
According to Michael Wohlwend, Alpine’s Managing Principal, ”Our focus was on getting product in and out of the facility with minimal touches and travel distance. We also know that the Bongards business will continue to grow, and wanted to be sure that the new layout was flexible and could handle changes, like the addition of new customers and products.” The new layout included designated zones for bulk and broken case picking and the right sizing of the deep lane storage. Alpine also fitted Bongards with 2D, 3D, and 4-Deep Push-Back Racking to meet Bongards’ storage demands.
While the team is still operating in the early phase of this initiative, productivity has improved and efficiencies have been achieved, especially when dealing with complex orders involving multiple products. In addition, pallet utilization has reached 90% since the installation of the multi-depth pushback storage solutions. The “pick aisle” concept has proven to be a major variable enabling all these improvements.
As Bongards continues to work towards streamlining processes in the mode of continuous improvement, they expect efficiency improvements to reach 20 percent. To learn more about how Alpine Supply Chain Solutions can help with warehouse consulting, strategic planning, HR solutions, supply chain planning, or manufacturing, visit www.AlpineSupplyChain.com.
About Alpine Supply Chain Solutions
Alpine Supply Chain Solutions, based in Chicago, IL, is a supply chain consulting company driven to ensure their clients get the most value from their investments. Their approach to every project starts with the data and ends with a cost justifiable solution. With deep roots in industrial engineering, Alpine’s approach is unique. For more information, please visit: <https://www.AlpineSupplyChain.com>.
About Conveyor Solutions, Inc.
Conveyor Solutions, Inc., as part of the Systems in Motion Group, is a turnkey system integrator that uses cutting-edge technology to design warehouse solutions and improve production. They strive to exceed customer expectations by providing innovative automation solutions, procedural improvements, flexible software, and reliable equipment. Conveyor Solutions works with all system level needs from straightforward belts to highly complex and automated warehouse redesigns. The Systems in Motion family of companies provides service at every step of the process and sources products from the most trusted manufacturers available. Learn more at: <https://www.conveyorsolutions.com/>.
About Bongards
Bongards is ready to be your trusted cheese supplier. More importantly, they’re determined to be your partner. As a farmer-owned coop with over a century of cheese-making expertise, Bongards can meet all your cheese category needs with an assured supply chain, a broad selection, and the know-how to create products to your exact specifications. Learn more at: <https://www.bongards.com/>.
