appropriately sized for the item being shipped, while also preventing damage to shipments in transit. Through its partnership with ITS, Uncommon Goods has also begun working with recycled mailers. “We’re a B Corporation, so sustainability is important,” Carucci says. “ITS’s expertise and constant insight to trends in the industry is very helpful.”
across the country can enjoy same- day shipping. In addition, customers can receive immediate noti cations of transit information. The East and West Coast operations are similar in terms of how they pick and pack, so there’s consistency. Standardization also means customers enjoy the same ful llment experience, whether their orders are lled in Reno or Brooklyn. “That’s especially important for a gift retailer,” Carucci says. ITS also ags the SKUs that are moving most quickly. It then adjusts their slotting locations in the warehouse so they can be picked more ef ciently. As a gift retailer, Uncommon Goods’ order volume can increase dramatically during the holidays. In addition to more orders, the orders themselves often are larger. Both technology solutions and workers need to adjust, not just to higher volumes, but also to what the orders look like. “The processes are dramatically different,” says Kasia Wenker, director of supply chain solutions with ITS Logistics. To ensure an effective partnership, Carucci and his team regularly communicate sales forecasts and updates with their colleagues at ITS. “We get very granular,” he says. They relay information on, for instance, the percentage of shipments that will be fragile, so ITS can have the right supplies and staff ready to go. E-commerce retailers have more challenges in forecasting sales compared to business-to-business companies, so constant communication is essential. Other critical components of the partnership are ITS’s exibility and understanding of the uctuations in sales volume, and its interest in working together. “We build out our processes together,” Carucci says. Uncommon Goods has also bene ted from the expertise ITS can offer. ITS recommends ways to improve operations, including packaging, warehouse planning, and regional carrier selection. For instance, ITS helped Uncommon Goods adjust its box sizes so they are
GETTING CREATIVE: Uncommon Goods & ITS Logistics
While Uncommon Goods appeals to customers looking for creative products, it also competes with other retailers and needs to offer similarly rapid, ef cient shipments, including during the holiday season. This requires supply chain solutions that can ef ciently scale to adjust to drastic seasonality swings. ITS’s solution works effectively with Uncommon Goods’ diversity of products and shippers. Before partnering with ITS, Uncommon Goods shipped all products from a distribution center in Brooklyn, New York. However, with vendors on both the west and east coasts, Uncommon Goods needed a supply chain partner that could reduce shipment time and costs. Through its partnership with ITS, Uncommon Goods now also has distribution solution in Reno, Nevada. A percentage of SKUs are replicated in its West Coast operation, and about 25% of its customers are on the West Coast. Based on the inventory, transportation zones, and carriers, Carucci and his team decide from which warehouse they’ll ll each order. Shipping information and inventory availability travels between the warehouses using API connections. In Reno, ITS Logistics consolidates inbound shipments from vendors, ful lls orders, and handles returns. The West Coast operation cut the time required to move products to customers, so about 90% of Uncommon Goods’ customers
SINGLE SOURCE: Fibox Enclosures USA & Nexterus From its headquarters in Finland, Fibox Group has grown to a leader in thermoplastic enclosures that safeguard electrical and electronic components in hostile and hazardous environments. Its products can be found in infrastructure and utility applications, electronic manufacturing, and industrial plants, among other uses. Ken Hynes, director of purchasing and logistics with Fibox Enclosures USA, connected with Nexterus, a full- service supply chain management and technology company, to gain a single source for logistics management services across North America. “Nexterus has all the capabilities to address import ocean freight, customs clearance, less-than-truckload, truckload, and parcel,” Hynes says. “Using Nexterus as a true partner and extension of the Fibox team has helped streamline our
transportation and logistics.” The two companies initially
connected in 2019. “We sat with Fibox to learn about their pain points,” says Ryan Polakoff, president of Nexterus. Like many manufacturers, Fibox wanted to focus on its core competency—making enclosures. Yet, they were spending time overseeing raw
116 Inbound Logistics • January 2023
Powered by FlippingBook