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
Kreg Tool has spent decades helping people build things they're proud of. 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 — Kreg has always been about making woodworking more approachable.
When Kreg moved into its new facility in Ankeny, Iowa in 2021, they brought a conveyor-based pick-and-pack system with them. A new WMS from a separate vendor went live to support it. And for a while, things stabilized.
But stabilized isn't the same as 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 running lean. Pickers were assigning LPNs item by item, one scan at a time. Single-line orders were routed into individual totes — 100 orders meant 100 totes flowing through the system. And with a booming direct-to-consumer business alongside major retail partners like Lowe's and Home Depot, peak season pressure was real.
When Cyber Monday hit, it used to hit hard. Orders piled up Thursday through Sunday, and the warehouse spent until Wednesday or Thursday of the following week digging out. Four days of catch-up after a four-day holiday. Kreg knew what they wanted to fix. They just needed the right partner to get there.
Simplicity That Scales
E2 came in with a clear scope: two phased improvement projects — both tied directly to Kreg's busiest season on the calendar. The hard deadline was non-negotiable: get it done before peak.
Pack Station Overhaul
Instead of scanning every item to an LPN as it went into a box, E2 redesigned the workflow so 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 so operators stopped guessing carton size. The system recommends it. Operators scan it. Done.
Picking Process Redesign
Under the old model, each tote held one order. 100 single-item orders meant 100 totes. E2 built logic that maximizes each tote, filling it 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 the tote is empty. Ten to fifteen orders from one tote. Operators can rotate in and out without prior experience — the system guides every step.
Lithium-Ion Shipping Automation
Kreg's newest product line brought DOT lithium-ion shipping requirements into the mix: different amp-hour ratings, different labeling rules, tools shipped with batteries versus batteries shipped alone. E2 built a logic matrix directly into the pack station workflow. When an operator is packing an order with lithium-ion batteries, the system tells them exactly which label to grab — and validates they grabbed the right one 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 ✓#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.
- Peak season catch-up cut from 3–4 days down to same-day fulfillment
- Warehouse labor reduced by 40–50% — faster output with fewer people
- Guesswork eliminated at pack and pick stations
- 100% lithium-ion DOT compliance across all shipping scenarios
- Improved accuracy for major retail partners including Lowe's and Home Depot
- NPS score in the 80s — well above the 60–70 world-class benchmark
- 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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