Notable Project Achievements
We work with companies of all sizes, including several of the Fortune 50 as well as many mid- and small-cap companies. Our projects include questions of strategy, tactics and operations. Regardless of the size or scope of the question, Caplan has an established record of delivering significant cost avoidance, productivity improvements and other savings.
25% reduction in warehousing costs
Caplan was hired by this home products manufacturer to reduce warehousing and distribution expenses. Focusing on the company’s U.S. DC, we identified over $2.5 million in annual savings opportunities (on a $10 million annual operating budget) and led the bidding process to identify vendors to deliver the hardware and software projects necessary to achieve the savings. The average payback on these projects was less than 1 year.
$35 million in capital avoidance
This $50+ million project involved the consolidation of two manufacturing plants in Brazil. Caplan conducted Site Assessments at both sites, identifying scope and capital required to support initiatives at each multi-category facility. Based on the outcome of these studies, the client decided to consolidate the two facilities, resulting in significant capital avoidance across the supply network. Caplan’s involvement also included project team facilitation, option development, facilities planning and logistics support at the receiving site.
20% reduction in freight costs
This public company retained Caplan to help it reduce the excessive freight costs within one of its divisions. We recommended a solution that combined re-negotiated freight rates, the use of a freight management company, and improved planning procedures to cut an estimated $800,000 in costs out of a $4 million budget.
10-year Site Master Plan and $2.5 million in savings opportunities
This $25 million project involved integrating a new manufacturing platform into an existing plant. Caplan was responsible for determining the location of the new production lines as well as incorporating new materials and support processes into the existing plant layout. In addition, we developed a production planning model that demonstrated how the new technology would impact WIP and Finished Goods inventory levels. We also used the model to determine how the plant could take advantage of the higher-speed lines to move from a 7-day to a 5-day schedule (a $2.5 million annual savings).
Improved efficiencies plus $100,000 in capital avoidance
This client asked Caplan to conduct a traffic study for a $100 million new site. Caplan was responsible for analyzing inbound and outbound truck flows, shuttle / drop lot operations, and scale requirements. Upon completing the study, we were able to recommend changes that improved shuttle efficiency, maximized scale utilization, and eliminated more than $100,000 of unnecessary capital.
