Glass Manufacturer Improved Order Fulfillment Accuracy By 78% With GLSS
United States
Manufacturing
Operations
78%
- The problem: Order fulfillment errors were causing missing and incorrect shipments for customers, creating production delays and additional internal labor.
- The Results: After implementing process improvements, the manufacturer reduced monthly picking errors from 9 to 2 — a 78% improvement in order fulfillment accuracy.
In today’s fast-moving marketplace, manufacturers must deliver the right products to customers quickly and accurately. Even small fulfillment errors can lead to costly delays, extra labor, and frustrated customers. For companies that rely on timely shipments of parts or materials, an incorrect order can disrupt entire production schedules and weaken customer relationships.
A leading glass manufacturer recognized that improving order fulfillment accuracy was critical to maintaining its high service standards and supporting customers who depend on reliable deliveries. To tackle the challenge, the organization turned to GLSS’s Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training & Certification, equipping its team with practical improvement tools and structured problem-solving methods.
The team applied these techniques to analyze the causes of fulfillment errors and implement solutions that strengthened the process. The project also reflected GLSS’s principle of Ethical Efficiency™, ensuring that improvements supported employees while delivering better outcomes for customers.
The organization’s distribution team had been experiencing recurring order fulfillment errors. Some customers received shipments that were missing units, while others received incorrect products.
These mistakes created serious challenges for customers who relied on the shipments to manufacture their own goods. When the wrong items arrived or parts were missing, customers often had to pause production until replacement items could be shipped.
Internally, the errors created additional work for the warehouse team. Employees had to locate replacement items, repack orders, and arrange additional shipments. This rework increased labor costs and slowed down normal operations.
Leadership understood that improving picking accuracy would help eliminate unnecessary rework, reduce operational costs, and ensure customers received exactly what they needed to keep their operations running smoothly.
As the team analyzed the order fulfillment process, they discovered a key gap in the system.
There were no physical or digital safeguards preventing employees from picking items from the wrong storage location. Because many products were stored in similar areas of the warehouse, employees could accidentally select items from the wrong shelf or bin without realizing the mistake.
The team also found that employee training did not place enough emphasis on verifying the correct picking location during order fulfillment. While employees were trained on the general process, the importance of confirming the exact storage location was not strongly reinforced.
Without clear safeguards and stronger process guidance, occasional picking mistakes were more likely to occur.
To solve the problem, the team introduced a simple but powerful improvement.
The organization implemented a systematic barrier within the fulfillment process that prevents employees from picking items from the wrong location. This control ensures that items can only be selected from the correct storage location tied to each order.
By adding this safeguard, the process now guides employees toward the correct product location and prevents accidental selections from nearby bins or shelves.
This improvement created a built-in layer of protection within the order fulfillment system. Employees can now follow the process with greater confidence, while the system helps reduce the risk of mistakes.
The improvements delivered clear and measurable results. Before the changes, the organization experienced an average of nine picking errors per month in its warehouse operations. After implementing the new system control, the error rate dropped to two errors per month. This represents a 78% reduction in order fulfillment errors.
With fewer mistakes occurring, the organization significantly reduced the labor required to correct shipments and send replacement units. Customers now receive their orders more accurately and reliably, helping them maintain uninterrupted production.
The improved process strengthened customer satisfaction while making internal operations more efficient.
with GLSS
This project demonstrates how focused process improvement can deliver meaningful results in warehouse and distribution operations.
Through GLSS Training & Certification, , this manufacturer gained the skills needed to identify root causes, implement practical solutions, and measure the impact of their improvements.
GLSS’s innovative instructional design emphasizes real-world application, allowing teams to move quickly from identifying problems to achieving measurable results. The project also reflects the principles of Ethical Efficiency™, improving system performance in a way that supports employees while delivering greater value to customers.
By strengthening its order fulfillment process, the organization reduced costly errors, improved customer reliability, and positioned the organization for continued operational excellence and future improvement initiatives.
*We value our clients’ confidentiality. While the company name may be anonymous, the results are real.
