 
Profile:
Woodwind & Brasswind is one of the world's largest sellers of musical instruments and related accessories, offering products online, through catalog sales and outlet stores.
Mission:
IRMS Warehouse Management System Implementation with RF and Bar Coding
Facilities:
One, totaling 222,000 Sq. Ft.
Inventory:
65,000 SKUs
Users:
120 Users
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IRMS has enabled The Woodwind & Brasswind to increase the number of orders processed by 60%, provide 100 percent same-day expedited order processing, maintain 85% percent fulfillment of regular orders within 24 hours, and achieve near 100 percent inventory accuracy.
Integrated Warehousing Solutions has been helping The Woodwind & Brasswind make beautiful music with the implementation of the IRMS Warehouse Management System in their South Bend, Indiana distribution facility. Born in a converted barbershop in 1978, The Woodwind & Brasswind has grown into "The World's Largest Music Center," providing band and orchestral instruments and accessories via their online store, catalogs, retail showroom and outlets. They move tens of thousands of musical instruments through their state-of-the-art distribution facility each year.
Integrated Warehousing Solutions implemented the IRMS Warehouse Management System in The Woodwind & Brasswind's brand new order fulfillment center, specially designed to accommodate a wide range of inventory, everything from baby grand pianos and guitar picks to sheet music. Some 220,000 square feet in all, the new center is supported by 120 employees and houses more than 65,000 active SKUs. Both the new facility and new technology were procured in support of the retailer's rapid business expansion, including a move to a multi-channel business model.
Together with RF and bar coding, IRMS at The Woodwind & Brasswind supports key processes such as order fulfillment and provides the company with process improvement benefits, including RF picking, real-time RF communications and single-scan shipping. The system has additionally been a boon in the returns area, enabling them to better manage reverse logistics challenges - the company promotes music education by providing trial instruments to students and also offers a 45 Day Satisfaction Guarantee - and get their returned product back out into the marketplace faster.
With IRMS, The Woodwind & Brasswind has increased the number of orders processed by 60 percent and consolidated daily shifts from three to just one. In addition, with the operational improvements brought about by the WMS they are now able to meet stringent, self-imposed goals: supporting 100 percent same-day expedited order processing, maintaining 85 percent fulfillment of regular orders within 24 hours, and achieving near 100 percent inventory accuracy.
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