SUCCESS STORIES
A U.S. federal agency responsible for delivering benefits, healthcare support, and memorial services to military veterans and their families operates a critical distribution network that must meet exceptionally high standards for reliability, transparency, and service responsiveness. This network plays a direct role in supporting veterans by ensuring timely access to essential products and materials across the country. As demand increased and facility infrastructure aged, the agency recognized the need to modernize its distribution operations to reduce risk and improve scalability. Two distribution centers located in Illinois and Colorado supported high-volume fulfillment activity but operated independently with separate system environments. To
The agency faced increasing operational risk due to aging facilities, limited scalability, and a lack of network-level system integration. Its two distribution centers operated on separate warehouse systems without a unified WMS, restricting shared inventory visibility and limiting the ability to manage the network as a coordinated operation. Facility constraints—including dock and racking limitations in Illinois and high-volume pressure in Colorado with nearly 8 million lines processed annually—further strained throughput and space utilization. Leadership needed a practical modernization plan that delivered near-term improvements while aligning with federal budget cycles and long-term infrastructure readiness.
Alpine developed a Strategic Master Plan and modernization roadmap focused on building foundational capabilities to enable scalable, long-term improvement. Key recommendations included initiating a unified WMS RFP and selection process to standardize execution and improve cross-site visibility, as well as launching a network-wide cubing program to enhance item master accuracy and strengthen storage planning. Facility-specific Storage Type Analysis (STA), slotting optimization, and layout redesign initiatives were also proposed to maximize storage density, improve material flow, and prepare both sites for future automation in a structured, ROI-driven manner.
The engagement delivered a clear, phased roadmap that balanced immediate operational stabilization with long-term scalability. Leadership gained a prioritized 0–18 month execution plan anchored in unified systems, improved data accuracy, and engineering-driven storage optimization, while also establishing a 3–5 year modernization strategy aligned with funding cycles. The Strategic Master Plan created a shared blueprint across both sites, reducing risk, improving coordination and visibility, and positioning the distribution network to support future automation and mission-critical service outcomes with greater reliability and transparency.
