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

By Katherine Wroth October 24, 2025
FRANKLIN, Mass. — ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Centers has been selected by Pompa Program , a Utah-based health and wellness company specializing in cellular health analysis and proprietary supplement products, to manage its direct-to-consumer (D2C) fulfillment and transportation operations. The partnership expands Pompa’s fulfillment footprint across the Eastern United States, ensuring faster, more reliable two-day delivery on all orders. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½’s Hickory Hill, Tennessee, facility will serve as the dedicated fulfillment hub, offering food-grade, temperature-controlled space and advanced inventory management systems to support its growth. “We chose ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ because they provide the perfect combination of experience and long-term partnership,” said Bryan Oviatt , director of supply chain at Pompa. “Their proven expertise in health, beauty and wellness made them the clear choice. We’re also excited about future NetSuite integration capabilities to further enhance efficiency. We see ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ as an extension of our team and look forward to what’s ahead.” From fulfilling cellular health testing kits to distributing premium supplements, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ delivers the operational scalability needed to support its expanding customer base. “We’re thrilled to partner with such a fast-growing and innovative health and wellness brand like Pompa,” said Mark Healy , vice president of customer solutions at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½. “Our goal is to provide a scalable foundation that supports their continued success and ambitious growth plans.” Pompa’s operations recently launched from one of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½’s Memphis distribution centers, a state-of-the-art facility built for high-volume, temperature-sensitive fulfillment. About ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Centers Since 1941, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ has provided customized third-party logistics (3PL), direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce fulfillment, omnichannel distribution, managed transportation solutions and retail compliance for clients across all industries, with a focus on apparel & footwear, health & beauty, consumer packaged goods (CPG) and education. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ continues to be a leading 3rd party logistics provider in North America, known for superior execution, customer engagement and direct access to senior leadership decision makers. As a member of Inc's fastest growing companies list 15+ times, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ is big enough to do the job and still small enough to deeply care about your business. Brands interested in a new 3PL partnership may contact ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ directly here . About Pompa Program The Pompa Program framework integrates nutraceuticals, personalized nutrition, metabolic support and one-on-one coaching to correct dysfunction at its cellular source. Participants work with trained coaches to identify upstream factors such as heavy metal exposure, hormonal imbalances and gut dysbiosis that drive inflammation and cellular damage. Guided by Daniel Pompa, participants gain practical tools and support to detoxify their bodies, restore metabolic balance and improve overall wellness. Official Release Here
By Katherine Wroth October 16, 2025
Franklin, MA — ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Centers is proud to announce a new partnership with Willo , an oral hygiene company creating innovative dental products for kids. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ will provide warehousing, fulfillment and transportation services to support Willo’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) and Fulfillment by Amazon operations. Willo’s decision came down to culture and size — finding a partner with the operational strength to meet aggressive growth goals while maintaining trust and close collaboration. “ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ struck the perfect balance for us. They are big enough to support our aggressive growth plans yet small enough to feel like a true partner,” said Rachel Blender , operations manager at Willo. “After going through multiple 3PL changes in the past, I knew we needed a partner we could trust for the long haul. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ is that partner.” Willo, a company led by oral health experts, recently launched the Willo AutoFlo+, the world’s first fully automated toothbrush designed specifically for kids ages 5 to 13. The device automates brushing from start to finish, dispensing toothpaste and using the uniquely shaped OptiClean brush head to replicate the perfect brushing motion every time. “When Rachel reached out during the RFP process, I knew right away that Willo was the perfect partner for ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½,” said Harrison Smith , director of pricing and contract logistics. “Their values, ambition and innovative spirit mirror our own, and that alignment sets the stage for something truly special. We’re excited to collaborate and help bring AutoFlo+ toothbrushes to homes across the country.” Headquartered in New York City, Willo will operate out of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½’s Hickory Hill, Tennessee facility. Beyond product innovation, Willo is committed to advancing children’s oral health education through community partnerships and outreach programs. The company plans to expand its product line and reach more families nationwide in the coming years. About ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Centers Since 1941, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ has provided customized third-party logistics (3PL), direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce fulfillment, omnichannel distribution, managed transportation solutions and retail compliance for clients across all industries, with a focus on apparel & footwear, health & beauty, consumer packaged goods (CPG) and education. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ continues to be a leading 3rd party logistics provider in North America, known for superior execution, customer engagement and direct access to senior leadership decision makers. As a member of Inc's fastest growing companies list 15+ times, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ is big enough to do the job and still small enough to deeply care about your business. Brands interested in a new 3PL partnership may contact ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ directly here . About Willo Founded on a mission to revolutionize children's oral health, Willo combines innovative design, advanced technology, and decades of oral health expertise to create breakthrough dental products for children. Our automatic toothbrush is designed to give kids ages 5-13 a confident smile while parents can breathe a sigh of relief. Developed with dentists and parent-approved, Willo helps kids build strong brushing habits that last a lifetime. Official Release Here
By Katherine Wroth September 23, 2025
Franklin, Mass. — ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Centers has been chosen by Tumble Living , a Los Angeles–based home goods company known for its washable area rugs, to handle nationwide direct-to-consumer fulfillment from Somerset, New Jersey.  By positioning inventory closer to its core U.S. customer base, Tumble will improve delivery times and reduce total supply chain costs. “After evaluating several competitors, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ stood out as the best fit,” said Julie Tang , vice president of operations at Tumble. “Their team proved they could scale with our growth, impressed us with strong site visits and backed it up with trusted references and solid technology. We’re excited about what this means for our customers and confident this partnership will take the Tumble experience to the next level.” Key factors in the decision included ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½’s speed to launch, seamless technology integration and available capacity to support Tumble’s growth. “This new partnership with Tumble highlights exactly what ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ does best: mobilizing quickly and being able to scale efficiently with high-growth brands,” said Dan Klenkar , vice president of customer solutions at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½. “We’re excited to launch this exciting brand in our NJ facility and look forward to supporting their aggressive growth.” This new partnership ensures Tumble can scale operations quickly while enhancing service to households nationwide. About Tumble Living Tumble was founded by Justin Soleimani and Zach Dannett. It was born from their desire to bring a fresh, customer-focused perspective to an industry that's traditionally been slow to evolve. As seasoned furniture industry professionals and frustrated homeowners, they recognized the need for thoughtfully designed, beautiful products at attainable prices—products that adapt to their customers' lifestyles, not the other way around. About ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Centers Since 1941, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ has provided customized third-party logistics (3PL), direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce fulfillment, omnichannel distribution, managed transportation solutions and retail compliance for clients across all industries, with a focus on apparel & footwear, health & beauty, consumer packaged goods (CPG) and education. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ continues to be a leading 3rd party logistics provider in North America, known for superior execution, customer engagement and direct access to senior leadership decision makers. As a member of Inc's fastest growing companies list 15+ times, ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ is big enough to do the job and still small enough to deeply care about your business. Brands interested in a new 3PL partnership may contact ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ directly here . Official Release Here
More Posts