Industry Served | Industrial Machinery & Equipment
Real-Time Supply at Production Speed: Custom Managed Solution Keeps World Leader in Industrial Transport Equipment Moving with 25 Truckloads Daily
2
dedicated facilities
next-door to their facility.
25
truckloads delivered
daily across two shifts.
40-50
live SKUs managed and
replenished in real time.
SNAPSHOT
Industry Served: Industrial Machinery & Equipment
Products/Services Provided: Custom Managed Solutions, Vendor Managed Inventory, On-Site Crating, Custom Crates
Challenge
A global leader in industrial transportation equipment needed a partner who could move as fast as their live production line — something their previous 3PL couldn’t sustain.
Solution
A Millwood team embedded directly within their operation, with two dedicated facilities, an on-site liaison and a live communication system that powers continuous productivity.
Results
100% on-time delivery, real-time responsiveness and a fully integrated partnership that eliminates downtime and delays.
To meet the fast-moving demands of the world’s largest manufacturer in industrial transportation systems, Millwood offered a Custom Managed Solution: an-in-house logistics team with a singular service focus, fully integrated into their production process. We operate two dedicated facilities just 470 yards from the customer’s plant, managing their crating, pallet, packaging and load securement needs on a live basis.
Inside their facility, one of our team members is embedded full-time alongside their production and logistics teams, coordinating inventory needs in real time. This direct connection ensures we supply and stock exactly what’s required to keep production running without interruption.
Between crates, pallets, packaging and other load securement solutions, we manage and provide 40–50 live SKUs. Although the customer’s facility lacks the space to store this volume, our proximity allows for seamless, rapid response. On an average day, we deliver up to 25 full truckloads across two shifts — as many as 14 during the first shift alone. While forecasts exist, we rely on live demand since their production priorities shift constantly.
Eliminating Downtime
This customer turned to Millwood after their previous 3PL struggled to keep up with the scale and speed of their operation. At the start of our relationship, service performance sat at 98–99% on-time: high by most standards, but not high enough for a manufacturer whose global production demands never stop.
The second challenge came from crate designs provided by their engineering team that, while meeting standard specifications, left room for greater efficiency and cost savings. As the customer’s team continued to refine their product offering, we recognized opportunities to leverage our custom crating experience and bring alignment earlier in a shared design process.
Building a Live Supply Partnership
Our first step was to intentionally strengthen relationships — with the customer, their engineers and our on-site teams. We asked our core team members for ideas to reach 100%, then built bridges with their engineering team to collaborate earlier in the design process.
By opening communication lines before designs were finalized, we helped their engineers improve crate performance and realize consistent efficiency gains over time. The result of these relational efforts was faster design turnaround, reduced waste and stronger overall alignment between production, engineering and our team.
Continuous Flow, Complete Trust
Today, our partnership runs with unmatched speed and precision. The customer trusts us to deliver exactly what they need, exactly when they need it. Communication between our on-site representative, our two dedicated facilities and their engineering and production teams is constant and transparent. We operate as a single team: exactly what this Custom Managed Solution was created for.
This alignment means minimal downtime, uninterrupted production flow and the confidence that critical packaging SKUs will always be ready, so their teams can focus their energy and manufacturing expertise where those matter most.
Beyond Vendor Managed Inventory: Rapid Response
Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) – in this case, immediately restocking crates and other packaging solutions for our customer’s live production needs – is the foundation, but not the end, of this Custom Managed Solution.
When their teams need to pivot mid-shift — say, from one product line to another due to a missing component — our embedded team pivots with them, immediately constructing and supplying the right crates and packaging for the new build. Our role may seem small compared to the high-value equipment being produced, but this kind of flexibility is mission-critical.
In other words, where traditional VMI stops, our Custom Managed Solution begins. We aren’t just replenishing stock; we are fully integrated with their operations, working in real time to keep their multi-billion dollar operations running at the speed they deserve.
Let’s Keep Your Line Moving
If your production never stops, neither should your supply partner. Millwood’s Custom Managed Solution for this client ensures real-time response, reliability and results, because speed and intentionality aren’t just built into our process, they are our process.
Connect With an Expert Today
We understand that time is one of your most valuable assets; that’s why we work hard to provide every one of our clients with a systems-based approach to improving quality and reducing costs while increasing efficiency. Whether you are looking for a single product or need a more comprehensive solution, our business is to support and serve the needs of your business.
We work with each of our clients to:
- Listen to their current and upcoming needs.
- Determine which of our products and services fit their application best.
- Develop an integrated plan to help them succeed.
We look forward to talking with you to learn how our team can serve your business.
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