Power Tools & Woodworking
Caught Up in No Time:
Same-Day Fulfillment After Peak
Four days of post-peak catch-up. Cut to same-day — without replacing the WMS or adding headcount.
Watch the full interview with Donovan
A New Facility, New Complexity, and a System That Needed a Partner
For decades, Kreg Tool has made woodworking more approachable — from the iconic pocket hole jig that started it all to a full line of cutting, joining, and hardware solutions, and now a brand-new battery-powered platform.
When Kreg moved into its new Ankeny, Iowa facility in 2021, it brought a conveyor-based pick-and-pack system and a new WMS from a separate vendor. Things stabilized — but stabilized isn't optimized.
"Launching a new WMS is complex enough. We got it stabilized, but then we realized there's a lot of efficiencies we could gain. That's when we found E2."
— Donovan, Director of Operations, Kreg ToolPack stations weren't lean. Pickers assigned LPNs one item, one scan at a time. Single-line orders each got their own tote — 100 orders meant 100 totes moving through the system. And with a booming direct-to-consumer business alongside retail partners like Lowe's and Home Depot, peak-season pressure was real.
Cyber Monday hit hard. Orders piled up Thursday through Sunday, and the warehouse spent until the following Wednesday or Thursday digging out — four days of catch-up after a four-day holiday. Kreg knew what to fix; they needed the right partner to get there.
Simplicity That Scales
E2 came in with a clear scope: two phased improvement projects, both tied to Kreg's busiest season. The deadline was non-negotiable — done before peak.
Pack Station Overhaul
Instead of scanning every item to an LPN as it entered the box, E2 flipped the workflow: operators build the box first, scan all items in, then assign the LPN at the end. One scan instead of ten — fewer packers per shift, less cognitive load, and a box-selector tool that ends carton-size guesswork. The system recommends, operators scan, done.
Picking Process Redesign
Under the old model, each tote held one order — 100 single-item orders meant 100 totes. E2 built logic that fills each tote with as many single-line, single-quantity orders as possible. Now a packer grabs a tote, scans an item, gets a box recommendation, packs, labels, ships, and repeats until it's empty — ten to fifteen orders per tote. Operators rotate in without prior experience; the system guides every step.
Lithium-Ion Shipping Automation
Kreg's newest product line added DOT lithium-ion shipping rules: different amp-hour ratings, different labels, tools shipped with batteries versus batteries shipped alone. E2 built a logic matrix into the pack-station workflow — when an operator packs a lithium-ion order, the system shows exactly which label to grab and validates it before the box closes.
"The operators don't have to second guess. They don't have to understand the regulations. It's straightforward. We're 100% compliant at the end of the day."
— Donovan, Director of Operations, Kreg ToolPeak Season Went From Crisis to Routine
The transformation played out in measurable phases. After Phase 1, catch-up time dropped from four days to two. After Phase 2, Kreg was done by end of day one.
| Metric | Before E2 | After Phase 1 | After Phase 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber Monday catch-up time | Wed–Thu (3–4 days) | End of Tuesday (2 days) | End of Day 1 ‚úì#10003; |
| Orders per tote pass | 1 order per tote | Improved routing | 10–15 orders per tote |
| Warehouse headcount (shipping) | 22–26 people | Reduced | ~11 in shipping |
| Lithium-ion compliance | Manual tribal knowledge | — | 100% automated validation |
| Operator onboarding | Experience-dependent | Simplified scan flow | System-guided, no prior experience needed |
"We were basically caught up at the end of day one. The expectation is we're going to ship to that customer on our next business day, and we're meeting that."
— Donovan, Director of Operations, Kreg ToolSeven Outcomes. One Ongoing Partnership.
Same-day peak-season fulfillment, down from 3–4 days of catch-up
40–50% less warehouse labor — more output with fewer people
100% lithium-ion DOT compliance across all shipping scenarios
NPS in the 80s — above the 60–70 world-class benchmark
Guesswork eliminated at pack and pick stations — the system recommends, operators just scan
Improved order accuracy for major retail partners including Lowe's and Home Depot
Growing internal capability through a collaborative, knowledge-sharing partnership
About Kreg Tool
Why It Worked
When asked what set E2 apart, Donovan kept coming back to one word: partnership. "It wasn't a 'here's your code, now go use it.' We wanted someone who would bring us along the journey. Our internal knowledge base grew through this partnership. We can now solve smaller problems ourselves."
15+ years as a certified Infios/Körber partner. No onboarding ramp — we come in already knowing your system.
Every project scoped around measurable results — faster throughput, less labor, zero compliance risk.
Our goal is to raise your team's capability, not create dependency. Kreg now resolves smaller issues independently.
Your Peak Season Shouldn't Take a Week to Recover From
If your warehouse is still playing catch-up after your busiest days, you're leaving real money on the table. We've helped businesses like Kreg Tool transform fulfillment operations from reactive to smooth and scalable — without replacing your platform.
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