2005
New England Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition

Advanced Supply Chain Management Case Study: Decentralizing the Tool Crib

by David L. Rivers, CFPIM, CIRM

How the Principles within the APICS Advanced Supply Chain Management Courseware were used with a successful systems implementation where service and employee utilization went up, inventory went down.

Within the New Bedford facility of DePuy Orthopaedics, prior to decentralizing Maintenance Repair and Operating Supplies (MRO) items, Machine Operators walked to the centralized tool crib to retrieve the required tools. Tool crib attendants utilized a traditional perpetual inventory control system for MRO control and replenishment.

Now, the operators independently retrieve items from secure cell specific cabinets. Inventory is controlled within an off site server which notifies Suppliers via e-mail.

Resulted in Reductions to:

1. Inventory
2. Tool crib attendant time
3. Operator down time
4. Purchasing time
5. Purchase orders
6. IT system server requirements.

This presentation will show how the principles contained within the APICS CBT course: "Advanced Supply Chain Management" (ASCM) were used to assist with this successful implementation.

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