Case Study #1:

Bath & Body Works Holiday Rollout

Synopsis

The challenge represented a near logistical impossibility. But, working with 267 selected service vendors, the Titan team masterminded a flawless system to roll out holiday displays to Bath & Body Works stores all over the country. The solution took shape as a well-coordinated blitz by more than 750 delivery teams on two subsequent Sundays at the start of the retail industry's busiest season.

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2006 edition of the Atlas Amplifier, the magazine of Atlas World Group.

If you were in the market during the holiday shopping season for fragrant personal care products, you may have followed your nose to one of the more than 1600 Bath & Body Works® stores across the U.S. As you explored the aromas there, you would have seen a striking display — a tiered tower loaded with goodies — as well as Christmas trees festooned with cherry-red ribbons and bows.

The delivery of those displays was a collaborative, perfectly timed effort of Atlas agent Specialty Moving Systems and Atlas subsidiary Titan.

"When I was asked to submit a bid for this project, I knew it would require extraordinary resources," says Wes Wodka, National Account Representative with Specialty Moving Systems. "The scope of this rollout was the biggest we had ever encountered. The trick would be to deliver to every one of the Bath & Body Works stores, on a Sunday evening, within a window of approximately five hours."

Wes contacted Titan to tap its potential for what he knew would need to be a logistical hat trick. Titan put together a contract-winning proposal based on efficient planning, perfect timing, and flawless execution. Not only did the plan look good on paper, the solution materialized with uncanny precision.

"A lot of credit goes to Wilda Poehler, Special Projects Manager for Titan," says Wes. "She was extremely organized."

A True Team Effort

Wilda is quick to point out that the project would have been impossible were it not for a comprehensive team effort.

"This job involved everyone at our site in some way to help in planning and in communication with the service network," says Wilda. "It was a massive undertaking, necessitating the use of warehouses and equipment all over the country.

"Wilda explains that several of the stores in the retailer's chain are located in rural areas beyond the existing Titan network. This required the Atlas subsidiary to qualify new warehouses according to its stringent quality standards.

"All told, we worked with 267 different service vendors, including 40 selected Atlas agent partners," says Wilda.

The first deliveries took place on Sunday, October 9, to 62 locations. The remaining deliveries (over 1500) took place Sunday, October 16.

"We handled two different kinds of displays – holiday trees and plexiglass towers," says Titan Contract & Sales Administrator Karen Minnerly. "The display manufacturers shipped us the products marked with numbers coded to each store location. We handled from one to six pallets and ten to fifteen cartons per store."

"In some cases, one team could make delivery to two locations," says Wilda. In other cases, it was one team per store. All together we orchestrated more than 750 delivery teams."

Titan headquarters served as a central communications point on the night of the massive rollout. As deliveries were completed, the Titan information system scanned the store sign-off sheets and uploaded them to the Titan web for verification. Although there were a few eleventh-hour surprises, such as an unexpected store closing, the deliveries took place with an amazing lack of complications.

"There were very few, and very minor, delivery issues," says Wes. "For example, there was an instance where someone forgot his keys and had to make a trip back to get them. But there were absolutely no service failures. It was phenomenal."

To recognize the excellent service it received, management for The Limited, parent company of Bath & Body Works, sent a plaque of appreciation to Titan and to Specialty Moving Systems.