Case Study | BR Williams Collaborates with Automotive Tier 1 Supplier
BR Williams is a 60-year-old company specializing in Trucking, Warehousing, and Logistics Services. Founded in 1958, Bill and Ruth started their local, family-owned trucking company in Oxford, Alabama.
Built on three simple themes: Honesty, Integrity, and Service (H.I.S.), BR Williams trucking has become a leader in the transportation industry. The company that began as one man, one truck and one dream has grown to a fleet of 165 satellite-equipped tractors and 625 air-ride van trailers, servicing the 48 contiguous states and Canada.
Executive Summary
In 2016, a Tier 1 auto supplier faced a difficult decision. Due to economic constraints, a product they originally manufactured in the U.S. would instead have to be produced in Germany and shipped to the U.S. BR Williams jumped at the challenge. We were able to provide the expertise, space, and systems to repackage the product, perform quality inspections, carry out simple repairs, and ship the product to their customers.
Challenges
The Tier 1 auto supplier faced an all-too-familiar industry problem, a shortage of resources. While it was crucial to their success, they lacked the materials, time, staff, and other assets required to effectively repackage their product in the U.S. They also knew the requirements of the moment would soon come to a head with the demands of the future. They needed a partner with the flexibility to grow as the demand for their product increased. They were also challenged to find a facility with an easily expandable footprint.
How BR Williams Helped
We eagerly worked together with the customer to develop a detailed plan, establishing all the requirements. The statement of work included a layout of the warehouse facility, lighting requirements for the inspection area, full label design, process flows, labor needs, and additional documentation.
Accurate tracking of the parts and their racks was a crucial detail in the success of the project. We modified our warehouse management system (WMS) and customized additional software to provide inventory control and supply the customer with the necessary information at every stage of the process.
Overseas shipment of our customer’s products required heavy duty corrugated boxes, foam, pallets, and excess packing materials. We were able to efficiently handle the disposal and recycling of all the waste generated, eliminating this burden from our customers.
Results and Return on ROI
In 60 days, we were receiving, inspecting, and packaging over 30,000 parts per month for our customer by only using 10,000 to 15,000 square feet of warehouse space.
By eliminating the constraint of adding a new facility, software, or additional workforce, our customer was able to grow their business and establish a robust new customer relationship. By allowing us to focus on repackaging their product in the U.S., the global automotive supplier could concentrate on providing its customers with the service and quality they expected.
