Sellen Construction Seattle, Washington TAKING INVENTORY Sellen’s supply chain centers on their warehouse and rental yard facility, where the daily challenge is to prepare and deliver the supplies, equipment, and materials required at surrounding jobsites. As work progresses, jobsites need different tools and consumables for each step in the project. For the warehouse and rental yard, this means early mornings spent prepping the orders that each jobsite has placed. All rental reservations are accounted for and readied for delivery, and if there’s any fabrication or millwork required, it’s added to the queue. Delivery and any needed retrieval is also handled by Sellen’s drivers. In the past, Sellen had four people ordering from multiple vendors for multiple jobsites. And without a solid process, getting the right parts and equipment out to each site on time was becoming a major challenge, to the point where it began impacting projects. GOING LEAN Sellen established goals to improve consumables management and reduce invoicing costs. And as part of a company-wide initiative to embrace lean processes and outsource non-core capabilities, they made the decision to integrate with a strategic supplier who could bring true expertise to jobsite consumables. They evaluated a pool of five suppliers, conducted onsite trials with the top two selections (Fastenal and another large national supplier), and, according to Bowman, came to an easy decision: “Fastenal just blew it out of the water.” The onsite program integrates Fastenal’s distribution “machine” into Sellen’s daily warehouse operations. Two full-time Fastenal supply chain experts manage roughly $200,000 worth of consigned onsite inventory to quickly fulfill daily orders for the jobsites. The inventory is continually adapted to anticipate fast-changing needs and supported by Fastenal’s supplier network and distribution/transportation infrastructure. “Our customers expect our buildings to be completed on time. Our project teams are working tirelessly to get that done,” said Travis Muld, Sellen’s warehouse business manager. “We’re here to support our project teams. We’re here to make sure there’s no work stoppages. From the consumable end of it or even the fabrication part of it. We need to get the equipment out to the project teams so they can keep working.” ELEMENTS OF EFFICIENCY VENDING Machines were installed at the main facility and at individual jobsites to allow employees to self-serve necessary items. And reporting shows total usage and breakdowns by site and individual. EMERGENCY ORDERS Previously it could take two to three weeks to get an urgent item. Now, Fastenal can supply tools, parts, and equipment in two to three days at worst but often has same-day fulfillment. ONSITE HELP Roughly $200,000 worth of consigned inventory lives at the Fastenal onsite in the heart of Sellen’s headquarters. Every day this facility is in charge of making sure that each jobsite has everything they need to complete the day’s work. SAFETY AND SUPPORT Fastenal brought in safety specialists to help solidify ladder inspections and identified support services like hoist repair, which took time and effort to manage. Now, that time has been freed up for Sellen, yielding more time for jobsites to focus on building. JOBSITE SOLUTIONS Sellen’s jobsites are spread out across the Puget Sound region. Having the right piece of equipment on the job and at the point of installation is key. Fastenal was able to customize a solution using access-controlled bins to ensure tradesfolk had what they needed when it was needed.
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