The Challenge: Managing IT for the Production Floor
During a period of rapid operational growth at Behr Process Corporation, the organization needed to scale from 4 to 22 manufacturing and distribution facilities across North America. The challenge was maintaining 24/7 uptime for mission-critical logistics systems while modernizing paper-based workflows that were limiting warehouse production and first-shift throughput.
The Strategy: Bridging the Gap Between IT and Operations
I led the field support and industrial IT teams, acting as a bridge between plant leadership and enterprise technology strategy.
1. Forklift-Mounted Computing Rollout
I pioneered the rollout of forklift-mounted mobile computing systems across 8 major distribution centers. By replacing manual, paper-heavy tasks with real-time digital intake, we eliminated bottlenecks in the fulfillment cycle and directly improved production throughput.
2. OEE Analytics & Downtime Reduction
To improve equipment visibility, I implemented automated logistics and industrial analytics (VORNE OEE). This allowed plant managers to identify production bottlenecks in real-time, reducing unplanned downtime for conveyor systems and automated material handling equipment.
3. Rapid Site Scaling
I designed a centralized logistics and provisioning workflow that increased hardware staging and imaging throughput by 60%. This allowed for the seamless integration of newly acquired or expanded facilities into the corporate Active Directory and network ecosystem with zero disruption to shift operations.
The Results: Quantifiable Shift Effectiveness
The transition from a reactive support model to a proactive, automation-focused strategy yielded immediate results for the supply chain.
- Workforce Productivity: Achieved a 60–62% increase in first-shift productivity through the deployment of warehouse-hardened mobile workstations.
- Operational Scale: Successfully scaled IT operations from 4 to 22 facilities while expanding the support organization to maintain 24/7 coverage.
- Fulfillment Efficiency: Supported a 66% improvement in stock regeneration rates by aligning IT workflows with business replenishment processes.
- Continuous Improvement: Served as a key advisor for 5S methodologies, standardizing IT practices to mirror the efficiency of the manufacturing floor.