HJI Supply Chain Solutions is a growing logistics services provider based in Louisville, KY. Founded in 1994, HJI initially provided warehousing services to Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier automotive clients, including the Ford Motor Company, Yanfeng, and Martinrea. Since then, it has extended its offering to address the needs of additional industries, including food and beverage, consumer goods and healthcare.
As HJI continues to grow, it faces new operational challenges. In 2019, it made the decision to implement a warehouse management software (WMS) system from Körber, in order to maximize facility space, improve efficiencies and boost productivity across the business.
HJI initially tapped internal resources to lead the initiative, but the team member charged with overseeing the project was quickly consumed with day-to-day operational challenges. As a result, the Körber implementation stalled, and HJI began to question whether the tool was the right fit for its operations.
“The application felt unstable, and appeared to require resources and processes that [HJI] lacked,” the company says. At that point, it was considering starting all over again with an entirely new WMS system.
Instead, HJI called in Alpine Supply Chain Solutions, which had years of years of experience in implementing the Körber WMS, to evaluate next steps. Alpine conducted a best-practice analysis to determine the client’s current and future WMS requirements, and quickly devised a plan for HJI to get back on track with the Körber implementation.
Alpine then re engaged with Körber and led the execution of multiple client-side responsibilities, including:
Providing technical and operations direction on gap discovery and system configuration.
Developing a full acceptance test plan to assist with execution and documentation of the user acceptance testing process.
Documenting work instructions and standard operating procedures.
Serving as the communication conduit between Körber WMS, ERP providers and the HJI team.
Pinpointing, soliciting training and conducting train-the-trainer sessions to fill knowledge gaps and provide education on new functionality.
Directing Körber WMS to resolve requirements leading to configuration, and making minor customization adjustments.
Providing operational support for technical training.
The implementation was a success, according to HJI, which says it was able to deepen its knowledge base of the WMS in the process. It has since successfully rolled out the Körber tool to a larger distribution center in Louisville and two additional facilities in Memphis. Both are working to fully link all clients and warehouses on the application.
“Alpine proved to be the right partner at the right time,” says Shane Allgeier, HJI’s chief operating officer. “They quickly assessed our situation and got our WMS implementation back on track. In the end, they helped us maximize the investment we had already made in our supply chain technology, saving us both time and money.”
Adds Allgeier: “By having Alpine take a leadership role in the implementation, we were able to focus on our daily operations and what matters most to us — providing peace of mind to our customers.”
HJI is now relying on the system to deliver daily order fulfillment and numerous value-added warehousing activities, including pick, pack and ship of both B2B and B2C orders, e-commerce omnichannel order fulfillment, an order management system (OMS) and WMS with track-and-trace functionality, contract packaging, kitting and assembly, and reverse logistics.
“We continue to grow, with a focus on enriching the lives of our people, supporting their community, and providing peace of mind to customers while providing 3PL solutions to meet today’s greatest supply chain challenges,” Allgeier says.
