Top US Faucet Brand Improves Throughput by 435%

Moen, the leading faucet brand in North America, needed to upgrade their distribution facilities to meet growing demand and maintain their number-one market position. Their goal was to consolidate operations into a single automated facility that could scale for future growth.

The plumbing fixtures and fittings manufacturer implemented an AutoStore system, empowered by FORTNA, at their new facility in Las Vegas to improve customer service and operational efficiency.

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The Challenge: Volume Surges and Aging Facilities

Moen faced significant pressure to modernize. Corporate restructuring required consolidating operations and inventory under one roof to strengthen their supply chain. Existing distribution processes were becoming outdated, making it difficult to handle unexpected volume surges. This increased labor costs by 20%.

The older facility relied heavily on manual labor and minimal automation. It was costly, inefficient, and challenging to scale. Moen needed an efficient, future-ready solution that could support growing demand without drastically increasing operational costs.

The Solution: Faster, More Efficient Order Fulfillment with AutoStore

Moen installed an AutoStore system at their new Las Vegas facility. It includes a high-density AutoStore Grid holding 41,000 Bins containing Moen’s inventory of faucets and parts.

There are 41 R5 Robots travelling on top of the Grid, retrieving and delivering Bins containing products directly to 11 workstations (Ports). This goods-to-person technology removes the need for long walking distances and allows continuous, accurate picking.

The system delivers exceptional performance, enabling the team to pick up to 700 order lines per hour during peak operations. For many products, the operation can move an order from AutoStore to the delivery truck in less than one hour.

FORTNA’s warehouse execution system (WES) and warehouse control system (WCS) direct the flow of operations from receiving to shipping, creating a cohesive automated workflow.

The AutoStore system is integrated with a sliding shoe sorter and a fully automated packaging system that right-sizes boxes, reducing material waste and freight costs.

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Key Benefits: Cost Savings, Better Throughput, and Scalability

The implementation of AutoStore delivered measurable improvements from day one and directly addressed Moen’s operational challenges:

• ‍Increased throughput: The facility achieved an impressive 435% increase in throughput, allowing Moen to process higher order volumes faster and more accurately.
• High picking productivity: Moen can now pick up to 700 order lines per hour, a dramatic improvement over the manual limitations of the previous facility.
• Rapid order dispatch: Many orders now move from AutoStore picking to truck loading in under one hour, significantly reducing order cycle times and supporting same-day or next-day delivery expectations.‍
• Labor savings: Automation reduced labor dependency by 60%, addressing the challenges of a tight labor market and lowering the cost of manual picking.‍
• Improved customer service: Centralized distribution and faster order processing improved delivery times and overall customer satisfaction.‍
• Scalability: The modular design of AutoStore enables easy expansion. Moen can increase capacity simply by adding more Robots and Bins, making the system a secure long-term investment.‍
• Improved sustainability: Right-sized packaging and energy-efficient AutoStore Robots lowered the facility’s carbon footprint by reducing material waste and optimizing energy use.

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Automation Brings the Competitive Edge

The AutoStore system positions Moen for sustainable, scalable growth. Their new Las Vegas facility provides a true competitive advantage through speed, efficiency, and reliability. This project demonstrates how the right automation technology and the right integration partner can reshape operations and prepare companies for the demands of tomorrow.

Project Specifications

1. Implementation type: Greenfield
2. Robots: 41 R5 Robots
3. Workstations (Ports): 7 CarouselPorts; 4 ConveyorPorts
4. Bins: 41,000 Bins
5. Integrated technology: Sliding shoe sorter; automated packaging system
6. Integration partner: FORTNA