What Electronics Operations Can Learn From a 45% Reduction in Material Handling Maintenance Spend

A national home-improvement retailer worked with Wolter to improve how televisions, monitors, appliances, & other damage-sensitive products moved through its distribution operation. The challenge was bigger than product handling alone. Equipment condition, attachment setup, service consistency & operator practices were all affecting reliability, cost, & the way product moved through the facility.

1. CUSTOMER: National retailer & distribution network handling, in part, electronics, appliances, & other damage-sensitive products
2. SITES: Store-support & regional DCs; mixed fragile SKUs
3. NEED: Protect high-value, damage-sensitive products while maintaining safe, efficient throughput
4. WOLTER SCOPE: Fleet, service, training, process analysis

Goal: Lower Maintenance Spend

What was achieved through an integrated approach to equipment, attachments, maintenance, battery practices, service, & operator training is a 45% lower maintenance spend.

Challenge

The customer was moving a difficult mix of flat-panel TVs & monitors, boxed appliances & small electronics alongside other palletized products through the same operation. Damage-sensitive loads left little room for error, while inconsistent attachment setups, recurring service issues, & improper battery charging & discharging practices were creating additional challenges for operators. The impact extended beyond product handling to downtime, repairs, equipment availability, & overall maintenance cost.

Instead of treating each repair or damaged load as an isolated issue, Wolter’s team looked at the application as a whole. The goal was to understand what operators were dealing with on the floor, where equipment & operating practices were creating unnecessary challenges, & which recurring issues could be corrected through equipment selection, maintenance, attachment setup, battery practices, & training.

• Frequent obstacles in the Electronics Industry
• High-value, damage-sensitive inventory
• Tight tolerances for product handling
• High throughput expectations
• Limited tolerance for equipment downtime
• Complex storage & movement requirements
• Pressure to control maintenance & operating cost
• Need for consistent operator practices

Although the customer in this case operates in retail distribution, the operating challenges closely parallel those found in many electronics manufacturing & distribution environments.

SOLUTION

The work started on the floor. Wolter reviewed how the equipment was being used, how loads were being handled, how batteries were being charged & discharged, & where recurring service & handling issues were showing up. That field-level review helped separate problems caused by the application from problems that could be corrected through the equipment, attachments, a maintenance program, battery practices, or operator training.

Finding the root causes

Wolter’s team walked the inbound, reserve, picking, & outbound areas with operations & observed the work as it was actually being done. The review included:

• Attachment setup & clamp pressure
• Fork entry & load positioning
• Operator visibility
• Product staging & movement
• Equipment use by application
• Battery charging & discharging practices

This helped identify where the application, equipment, & day-to-day operating practices were contributing to recurring issues.

Matching the equipment to the work

Rather than asking one truck to handle every application, Wolter matched equipment & attachments to the loads operators were moving. Electric sit-down & stand-up trucks provided improved visibility & control. Carton clamps & appliance-handling attachments were configured for the products being handled, while reach & narrow-aisle equipment was selected around rack & pallet requirements. Higher-capacity applications retained the capacity they needed.

Addressing Maintenance & Battery Practices

The changes went beyond equipment selection. Wolter developed a maintenance & operating approach that included:

• Inspecting & maintaining trucks & attachments
• Monitoring hoses, pads, pressure settings, forks, & controls
• Identifying improper battery charging & discharging practices
• Correcting battery-management practices with the customer
• Providing consistent local technician & parts support
• Addressing recurring repair issues before they became larger operational problems

Together, these changes helped improve equipment availability, reduce recurring maintenance issues, & keep the equipment operating as intended over time.

Training Around the Actual Application

Operator training focused on the equipment & loads employees handled every day, including load stability, attachment use, approach angles, consistent handling practices, & proper battery charging & discharging. Scheduled around the operation, the training reinforced the equipment, battery, & maintenance improvements already in place.

The result was a more consistent, integrated material-handling strategy. Rather than treating equipment problems, operator practices, & product handling as separate issues, the customer addressed them together. Maintenance spend decreased 45%, while the combined changes also reduced conditions contributing to downtime & product-damage risk.

What Changed

• 45% Lower Maintenance Spend: The combined equipment, service, & maintenance changes reduced maintenance spend by 45%, providing a measurable result tied directly to the work performed.
• More Consistent Equipment Performance: A maintenance program covering trucks & attachments, along with corrected battery charging & discharging practices, helped improve equipment availability while key components operated as intended.
• Equipment Matched to the Application: Equipment & attachments were selected around the loads, rack, & pallet requirements instead of relying on one truck to handle every job.
• More Consistent Service Support: Local Wolter technicians & parts support replaced a patchwork service approach & gave the operation a more consistent maintenance standard.
• Training Tied to the Work: Operator training focused on the equipment, attachments, loads, & battery practices employees dealt with every day, reinforcing the changes made in the application.

A connected Approach

The improvement came from looking at the operation as a complete material-handling application rather than focusing on a single repair or piece of equipment. Equipment selection, attachment setup, maintenance, battery practices, & operator training were addressed together so the changes made in one area supported the others.

Wolter’s team remained involved across the equipment, service, & training needs of the operation, giving the customer a more consistent approach to keeping trucks available, controlling maintenance costs, & supporting the people using the equipment every day.

Could these issues be costing your electronics operation?

• Recurring product damage
• Excessive equipment repairs
• Inconsistent clamp or attachment performance
• Battery-related downtime
• Equipment mismatched to the application
• Operator inconsistency
• Rising maintenance cost
• Poor fleet availability

Identify opportunities with a Material handling review

Wolter can review fleet performance, maintenance history, product-handling requirements, equipment utilization, battery practices, attachments, & operator considerations to identify opportunities to improve reliability, productivity, & cost. Schedule a 30-minute conversation with Wolter today.