In the construction supply business, delivery delays, missing items, or poor load sequencing can cause serious headaches at the job site. That’s why the staging process—what happens between picking and loading—is a critical control point for customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
In this case study, we look at how a mid-sized building materials distributor transformed their staging process using ERP-integrated best practices—and the tangible results they achieved in both warehouse speed and delivery accuracy.
🏢 The Company
A regional building materials supplier with:
3 warehouse yards
A mix of products: lumber, rebar, insulation, adhesives, and specialty SKUs
Deliveries to contractors and residential builders across 100+ job sites per week
Previously relied on manual checklists and visual staging
🚨 The Problem
The company faced recurring issues like:
Last-minute delivery changes causing confusion at loading time
Staged materials getting misplaced or picked prematurely
No clear tracking of staged vs. picked inventory
Overloaded staging zones and inefficient use of yard space
Rising customer complaints about incorrect or incomplete orders
Despite having a solid picking process, their lack of structured staging was causing delays, rework, and missed delivery windows.
✅ The Solution: Staging Best Practices Powered by ERP
The operations team partnered with their ERP provider to implement a structured, data-driven staging workflow:
- Staging Zones by Route and Load Priority
Yard space was restructured into clearly marked zones for each route
ERP-integrated signage indicated what items were staged where and for which truck
- Scan-Based Staging Confirmation
Picked items were scanned into staging zones using rugged mobile devices
The ERP automatically marked these items as “staged” in real time
- Load Sequencing Logic
Items were staged in reverse delivery order
Fragile or project-critical materials were marked for special handling
- Staging Alerts and Dashboards
ERP dashboards showed what was staged, what was pending, and what needed to be loaded within the next hour
Supervisors received alerts if items sat in staging too long without being loaded
- Photo Documentation Before Dispatch
High-value or fragile staged materials were photographed
Photos were attached to the ERP record and available for customer service in case of delivery disputes
📈 The Results
Within just 90 days of implementing the new system, the company saw measurable improvements:
MetricBeforeAfter
Delivery accuracy89%97%
Time to load a full truck45 minutes28 minutes
Staging-related customer complaints12/month3/month
Yard congestion at peak hoursHighReduced by 40%
Team overtime hoursHighReduced by 25%
More importantly, field crews reported faster unloads and fewer issues on job sites—boosting long-term customer loyalty.
🔑 Key Takeaways
Structured staging zones reduce loading confusion and improve space usage
ERP-integrated scanning prevents misplacements and improves visibility
Real-time dashboards give dispatch teams the clarity they need
Photo records and ERP logs provide proof and accountability for every staged order
Load sequencing ensures smarter, damage-free deliveries
Final Thoughts
Material staging isn’t just a step in the workflow—it’s the bridge between warehouse and customer. When it’s done right, your trucks roll out faster, your job sites run smoother, and your customers keep coming back.
📦 Want help applying these staging practices in your own yard? We’ll walk through your space, your product mix, and your ERP capabilities to design a system that actually works—under pressure.
