2 Common Cases Where Groundwork Shines

Follow Yesler for the latest on the LBM industry

Two Common Cases Where Groundwork Shines for Multi-Yard Operations

This is the third installment of this blog on Yesler Groundwork. In Part 2 we reviewed how a buyer uses Groundwork to determine what to buy when. This post reviews two specific use cases in more detail.
Groundwork’s simple dashboards and views are valuable time savers and tools to maximize profit for any lumberyard. Here are two unique use cases for multi-yard operations. These come directly from actual Groundwork users, modeled in a mock company’s data-set to protect the identity of the customers.

Use Case #1 – Different SKU descriptions, interchangeable products

Situation:  Shortages of HemFir lumber, the typical SKU, forced a buyer to consider a second species (FirLarch).
Problem:  Usage, inventory and history is mixed across two SKUs – the original product SKU and the substitute – complicating the purchasing decision.
Solution:  Groundwork supports flexibly combining SKUs for analysis. You see combined future usage and inventory targets based on combined history.

The two interchangeable SKUs are shown below. Looking at SKUs individually in an ERP, the buyer would order more of each product in the next 4 weeks. Looking at the combined chart, the buyer can see that the total inventory remains above the lower control limit (light yellow indicates inbound inventory).


Result:   More efficient use of working capital, more profit.

Use Case #2 – Consolidating data across multiple data sources and locations

Situation:  Due to acquisition of an additional yard, data exists in two ERPs.
Problem:   Converting to a new ERP is costly, disruptive, and takes time.
Solution:   Groundwork consolidates data for important product lines for a one-company view of:
Purchasing and inventories
System wide commodity risk
Reload, cross-dock or drop-ship combined ordering

In the views below, the buyer is reviewing OSB status at the 5th Avenue Yard and the newly acquired Main Street Yard. They are in close enough proximity to split trucks or transfer materials between locations.

OSB, Main Street, at a glance – A lot of Yellow and Red



OSB, 5th Avenue Yard, at a glance – Overstocked for 6 weeks!

Even though each operation is on a different ERP, with different brands and SKU descriptions for 7/16 OSB, the buyer can simply select both yards and all data is consolidated into one view.

OSB, COMBINED, at a glance – 5 weeks coverage!

The buyer can also review one chart showing combined inventory levels relative to combined inventory targets across both operations.


Result:   More efficient use of working capital. Combined purchasing power, lower cost, higher profit.

Conclusion

Yesler is the Buyer’s superpower across SKUs, locations, and ERPs. And it’s the future-proofing strategy for President/CEOs to ensure they have a reliable, transferable purchasing system. The traditionally quantifiable value to the organization is time saved, reduced working capital, and higher profit. But the value in a labor constrained market with long-time veterans walking out the door to retirement goes far beyond traditional value measures.

Yesler Groundwork lets you attract, retain, and transfer knowledge to the next generation of tech-forward leaders who are the future of your business.

Matt Meyers
Yesler CEO and Founder
Matt’s 26 years of industry and executive experience span engineering, manufacturing, distribution, product development and includes leading Weyerhaeuser’s $3.5 billion sales, marketing, and supply chain for Truss Joist, OSB, Plywood, and Lumber.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the latest on feature updates, press releases, industry news and more.

Related Posts