MSC Industrial Supply Co. Achieves Faster, More Accurate Order Fulfillment

MSC Industrial Supply Co., one of North America’s largest distributors of metalworking and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) supplies, delivers more than 2.4 million products to small and mid-sized manufacturers. The company is known for its strong commitment to fast and accurate order fulfillment. As customer demand for MRO’s supplies increased, the company recognized the need to improve efficiency to maintain its service standards. With over 570,000 SKUs at the Elkhart, Indiana facility alone, manual processes were no longer sustainable. MSC needed a faster, ergonomic, and scalable solution.

The company collaborated with AutoStore, empowered by Bastian Solutions, on multiple automation projects at their facilities in Elkhart, Indiana, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The AutoStore systems allowed them to increase throughput without requiring additional space or labor, and improved the working conditions for warehouse staff.

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The Challenge: The Limits of Manual Warehouse Operations

MSC was operating in an increasingly demanding environment where customer expectations for fast, accurate order fulfillment continued to rise. Their traditional warehouse operations relied heavily on slow and physically demanding manual processes.

The company needed to manage its large and growing inventory within existing facility constraints — physical expansion was not an option. Workers had repetitive lifting tasks and extensive walking distances throughout their large warehouse spaces. This led to fatigue and potential safety concerns. The manual picking processes were also creating throughput limitations that challenged MSC's ability to meet customer service expectations.

MSC looked for a smarter, more ergonomic approach that could scale with their growing business demands.

The Solution: Goods-to-Person Automation

AutoStore's system provided MSC with a solution that overcame manual challenges with a Robot fleet that brings products directly to ergonomic workstations.

The system features 41 R5 autonomous Robots that navigate a Grid structure, retrieving inventory Bins and delivering them to workstations (Ports). These eliminate unnecessary walking, reduce physical strain, and improve picking accuracy and speed.

MSC's implementation includes 8 CarouselPorts and 4 ConveyorPorts, providing flexibility in how different types of orders are processed. The CarouselPorts offer high-density picking capabilities, while ConveyorPorts integrate with existing conveyor systems for efficient order fulfillment. These workstations feature intuitive interfaces that are easy for staff to learn and operate with minimal training.

The system ensures that frequently picked items are easily accessible and improves storage density within the existing warehouse footprint.

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Key Benefits: Labor Savings and Increased Throughput

The implementation of AutoStore resulted in significant improvements that came without compromising accuracy or customer service levels:

• ‍Nearly 40% labor savings reduce costs without compromising accuracy or customer satisfaction.‍
• Faster order processing increases throughput to meet customer expectations.‍
• High-density storage handles increased volume in existing facilities.  ‍
• Employees have a better experience with ergonomic workstations that reduce repetitive lifting and physical strains. They have also gained new technical skills and enjoy more varied responsibilities.‍
• Improved operational flexibility means MSC can efficiently scale operations during peak periods‍
• Automated reliability has created more consistent workflows and improved predictability in processing times.

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Expansion-Ready Foundations

MSC's AutoStore implementation demonstrates how warehouse automation can set distribution centers up for expansion and improve operational efficiency, as the system can be expanded without operational disruption. The Bastian Solutions project manager sums up the value: “Orders are getting out the door faster, and customers are receiving their orders quicker.”

Customer Fulfillment Director at MSC, Robert Smith, agrees: “I believe that the solution that was implemented was exactly what we needed for our business.”

Project Specifications

• Implementation type: Brownfield
• Robots: 41 R5 Robots
• Workstations (Ports): 8 CarouselPorts and 4 ConveyorPorts
• Bins: 15,938 Bins
• Warehouse Management System: Exacta WMS
• Integration partner: Bastian Solutions

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