Game On: How Mini Games Are Transforming Warehouse Operations

Katherine Wroth • February 20, 2025

At ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Distribution, continuous improvement is at the core of everything we do. Our commitment to operational excellence and employee engagement drives us to find innovative ways to enhance efficiency, quality, and teamwork. One of our key strategies for fostering this culture is our Quarterly Mini Games—focused initiatives encouraging teams across our facilities to collaborate, set measurable goals and implement process enhancements that drive business impact and client satisfaction.


Celebrating Success: Q4 Mini Games


The Q4 Mini Game presentations highlighted ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½’s dedication to improving quality and efficiency. These initiatives targeted reducing incident creation, improving LP accuracy, and strengthening collaboration. Teams reported significant incident reductions, cost savings, and increased client satisfaction. Employee engagement and open communication were key drivers of success, reinforcing the power of teamwork and innovation.


Mini Game themes at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½:


 - Quality is Just Around the Corner
 - Race to Receive
 - Kicking it into High Gear


Quality Assurance and Incident Tracking


Daniel Ryder, Assistant Operations Manager, led the team’s quality assurance efforts by tracking pallet quality, monitoring shipping errors, and categorizing incidents for research. Their goals included:


  • Reducing incident creation
  • Improving LP accuracy
  • Implementing a new pick auditing process
  • Increasing leadership presence on the dock


These efforts resulted in a 31% reduction in weekly incidents and a 9.3% reduction in cases impacted. The improvements had a significant financial impact, proving the effectiveness of their auditing process and revised cycle count program.


Inbound Process Improvements and Cost Savings


For the Race to Receive Mini Game. Joe Reynolds, Assistant Ops Manager, discussed the implementation of a new one-step receiving process in the inbound department for a popular apparel brand.


By implementing a new one-step receiving process, the team:


  • Increased dock-to-stock efficiency from 75% to 90%
  • Reduced inbound headcount from three employees to one
  • Achieved $100,000+ in annual cost savings
  • Cleared 40 inbound containers with 100% accuracy in January and February

These results showcase the team’s operational excellence and commitment to continuous improvement.


Mini Game Success in Inbound Processes


Walter Gonzalez, Operations Manager, and Nick Morello, Warehouse Lead, demonstrated the impact of an initiative focused on inbound and put-away processes for a leading apparel brand. The team:


  • Increased put-away units per hour from 205 to 252
  • Achieved 53.2 UPH against a 44.8 baseline
  • Expedited in-transit selling for customers
  • Realized $19,081 in Q4 labor savings, with projected annual savings of $38,000


Walter emphasized that these achievements were driven by associate engagement and ownership, with team members actively tracking daily results.


Collaboration and Communication: The Keys to Success


Open communication and employee input were essential to these improvements. The team stressed the importance of:


  • Encouraging small ideas that lead to significant efficiency gains
  • Maintaining a proactive approach during challenges like volume decreases and late shipments
  • Fostering a positive work environment to sustain morale and productivity


Voting and Celebration


After three strong Mini Game presentations, teams participated in the voting, naming one of our Hillsborough, NJ, facility as the Q4 winner.


Driving Continuous Improvement for Better Partnerships


At ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, continuous improvement is a mindset that fuels our success and strengthens our partnerships. Through initiatives like our Quarterly Mini Games, we empower our teams to optimize processes, reduce costs, and enhance quality while fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. These efforts benefit our internal operations and directly impact our clients by improving efficiency, accuracy and overall service excellence.


Contact ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ today to see how our expertise can help optimize your supply chain and drive long-term success.

Recent Blog Posts

Team Tactacam Celebrates Go-Live With Team ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½
By Bryan Corbett May 9, 2025
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Centers is excited to announce that Tactacam, the market leader in action and trail cameras for hunting, shooting, and outdoor enthusiasts, has officially launched operations with ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ as their 3PL provider.
By Katherine Wroth April 17, 2025
We’re nearly halfway through 2025, and eCommerce brands already feel the impact of major shifts in fulfillment, automation and consumer expectations. At ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Centers , we’re helping our partners stay agile and ahead of the curve. Here are four key trends and how ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ delivers solutions that make a difference. 1. Brands Are Prioritizing U.S.-Based Fulfillment More Than Ever With global shipping delays, rising tariffs and increased regulatory complexity, the need for a dependable U.S. 3PL partner has become a top priority for growing brands. Many are rethinking their footprint and shifting volume back onshore to reduce risk and increase speed to the customer. How ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ supports this: We operate over 25 strategically located fulfillment centers across the U.S., offering scalable support from coast to coast. Whether brands need to supplement an international setup or build a full domestic distribution strategy, we’re creating flexible models to meet their needs. What we’re hearing: More brands are asking for dual-node fulfillment strategies to shorten delivery windows and improve regional responsiveness, especially heading into peak season. 2. Smart Bundling is Beating the Shipping Rate Surge Shipping rates—especially for lightweight packages under one pound—continue to rise, with increases of 18–25% hitting hard in Q1 and Q2. Brands that haven’t yet adapted are seeing margin pressure grow. What ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ is doing: We’ve helped several partners redesign their packaging, consolidate SKUs into bundles and reconfigure order logic to optimize shipping brackets. Our fulfillment and support teams work with brands to test and implement smart bundling strategies that lower costs while driving customer value. Quick win: Bundling offsets shipping costs, boosts average order value and makes promotions more profitable. 3. Automation Is No Longer Optional Warehouse automation isn’t just for enterprise brands anymore. With labor challenges and service-level expectations higher than ever, automation has become a necessity, especially for brands navigating rapid growth. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½’s approach: We use automation in facilities where it makes the most significant operational impact. These aren’t million-dollar systems; they’re right-sized tools that improve accuracy, reduce cycle time and speed up fulfillment. What’s changed in 2025: Automation has become more plug-and-play and faster to implement, meaning brands can see ROI within months, not years. 4. Personalization Is Driving Loyalty (and Repeat Orders) In 2025, personalization has shifted from “nice to have” to a competitive necessity. Customers expect a tailored experience, from the products to the packaging they arrive in. What ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ delivers: We offer a full suite of value-added services, including embroidery, engraving, branded inserts, custom pack-outs and influencer kits. Whether you’re a luxury brand or a high-growth DTC company, we help create a fulfillment experience that feels on-brand and memorable. Why it matters now: As consumer spending tightens, brands that deliver on the details see higher customer lifetime value and stronger repeat purchase behavior. Looking for a True Partner—Not Just a Provider? The pace of 2025 isn’t slowing down. If your current 3PL isn’t keeping up, it may be time for a change. At ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, we combine hands-on operational excellence with strategic insight to help brands scale smarter.  Let’s talk—schedule your complimentary supply chain consultation here.
By Katherine Wroth April 14, 2025
Not Just a Vendor. A Partner Who Gets It.
More Posts