Things Remembered Rolls Out Delta MCS

Download the newsletter in which this article appears

Roll-out driven by reduced shrinkage, improved productivity
measured in pilot test

A careful pilot test of Delta MCS that began in October of last year culminated in a full roll-out of the system last month at the Things Remembered distribution center in North Jackson, Ohio. Things Remembered, a $285M national retailer specializing in personalized gifts with nearly 800 stores and three channels of distribution, called upon VeriStitch to help improve monogram productivity and reduce inventory lost to personalization errors. Good communication and planning coupled with superb execution resulted in a Delta MCS solution with a high return on investment. When installation was completed, 71 Meistergram 900XLC machines were networked to a single Delta Network Server and coupled to their mainframe-based order entry system.

Smooth roll-out the result of good planning

Working with the Things Remembered project team on the roll-out plan was a pleasure. Shari Schrader, Director; Diane McCarty, Manager; and Lee Damico, Production Lead; all of TR Direct, were appointed to take ownership of the Delta MCS project. They followed our installation planning documentation carefully, something we provide in advance of the actual installation. Everything we requested was in place on our arrival and we hit the ground running. By mid-week, the system was fully operational with minimal disruption to the production floor schedule, no small matter since the installation occurred in the midst of one of their production peaks.

Another brilliant Things Remembered foresight that paid off in the roll-out was to cycle all of their machine operators through the Delta MCS pilot test pod of 6 machines throughout the pilot period. As soon as we had machines connected to Delta MCS, operators were able to start using the system immediately. This allowed us to monitor the system with a full user population while we were still on site, adding to user confidence in the stability of the system.

In a way, the installation was too smooth, almost to the point of boredom, leaving the Things Remembered leadership team wondering if the real disaster was still waiting to happen after we were off site. But they were disappointed there too. Guess we'll just have to give good planning its due!

Pilot test meets shrinkage, productivity goals

As with any technology, customers are looking for tangible payback over a reasonable period. Delta MCS delivered for Things Remembered in a big way, and that is what drove the roll-out. The two areas Things Remembered was looking for improvements in were shrinkage due to operator error and productivity.

• Shrinkage Shrinkage due to operator error here means any item that becomes non-saleable due to misspelled personalization, wrong design, wrong thread color or any other operator caused error. Things Remembered sets a maximum acceptable shrinkage limit; operators must perform below that limit to be considered proficient. Results with Delta MCS? Operator-induced shrinkage went to zero for the entire test cycle!
• Productivity Productivity here equates to a units per hour (UPH) goal that is set for their operators. In their manual environment (pre-MCS), the goal was set at 7 UPH with an entire staff average coming in at 5 UPH. Initial results with Delta MCS? A 16% overall improvement in productivity department wide coupled with a 30% overall improvement in mispersonalization performance. It will be interesting to see where Things Remembered sets their new UPH goals after accumulating some experience with Delta MCS.

Delta MCS roll-out, just another Things Remembered success

While we were visiting Things Remembered, we couldn't help but notice the huge banner trumpeting their recent qualification as an ISO 9001:2000 certified plant. Things Remembered is the first in its industry to achieve such a certification. Based on our experience working with them, their careful planning and cheerful teamwork, we're not surprised! Our thanks go to Things Remembered, their leadership and project teams and all who helped make the Delta MCS roll-out such a success.