President and CEO Doug Stitt and his team said they have been working for more than a year to get manufacturing processes, product management protocols, sales reporting, distributor feedback loops, and warehouse space planning “in top working order to support increased levels of on-the-shelf inventory, resulting in faster order turnaround, higher order fill rates, and stronger relationships with the below-the-hook distributor network”.
The result was the list of more than 400 items that are in stock, ship within one business day, and ship for free, with no additional shipping charges added to the invoice.
“In-stock inventory matters in our industry,” said Stitt. “And Caldwell is responding to serve distributors better.
“Our in-stock programme makes us more efficient, smarter, and better prepared to serve customers than ever before because it forces us to focus on what matters: supporting distributors,” Stitt continued.
“Our customer service team hears how important in-stock availability is on a daily basis. We know we win orders because we have more equipment on the shelf and are ready to ship. The fact that these items ship via standard ground for free is the icing on the cake,” added Jeff Ferchen, director of business development.
Caldwell thinks that President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill, signed into law in 2021 and authorising funds for the likes of federal-aid highways and highway safety programmes, justifies increasing inventory levels, even when much of the manufacturing and construction segments are still worried about the possibility of a recession.
“That means more bridges being built, more water and sewer pipes being laid, and more highways being improved,” Stitt said. At the same time, he said Caldwell is seeing increased demand from offshore drilling, aerospace, and energy-related industries. “Certain industries are still enjoying significant growth due to pent up post-Covid demand, I think.”
To make the change possible, Stitt and the team looked at their entire operation. They made production processes more efficient with a dedication to Lean processes. They reviewed historical sales trends and seasonality data, and streamlined picking and shipping efforts.
“We know distributors don’t want to carry extra inventory, which adds cost to their business. So, they need to count on us to replenish quickly when they need to. We’ve set ourselves up to do just that,” Stitt said.
Items on the bolstered in-stock list include, for example, lifting and spreader beams, hooks and beam clamps.
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