Case Study: Real Results from Improving Reducing idle time in material handling and shipping

Company: AtlasPro Building Materials

Industry: Regional construction supply and distribution

Challenge: High labor costs and delayed deliveries caused by excessive idle time during material handling and shipping processes

The Problem: Operational Bottlenecks and Lost Time

AtlasPro Building Materials operated multiple distribution centers across the region, serving hundreds of contractors and job sites. As demand grew, the company noticed a sharp increase in:

Warehouse congestion during peak hours

Delays in loading and unloading shipments

Trucks waiting extended periods at docks

Labor teams standing idle between pick-and-load cycles

After reviewing their KPIs, AtlasPro found that idle time accounted for nearly 22% of their total handling and shipping operations—leading to lower throughput, delivery delays, and rising overtime costs.

The Solution: A Targeted Idle Time Reduction Initiative

AtlasPro launched a 90-day initiative to reduce idle time across its material handling and shipping operations. The project focused on process improvements, digital tools, and team training, including the following key actions:

• Real-Time Task Assignment via Mobile WMS

Problem: Workers spent excessive time waiting for instructions or tracking down staging information.

Solution: Implemented a mobile warehouse management system (WMS) that assigned tasks in real time based on order priority and location.

Result:

29% increase in order pick speed

Elimination of task downtime between shifts

Improved labor efficiency across all zones

• Dynamic Dock Scheduling System

Problem: Multiple trucks arrived at once, creating long dock queues and driver wait times.

Solution: Installed dock scheduling software to assign time slots and auto-prioritize based on delivery urgency and load size.

Result:

Average dock wait time reduced by 41%

Increased daily outbound load volume by 18%

Improved driver satisfaction and turn-around time

• Pre-Staging of Mixed Orders for Consolidated Loading

Problem: Time was wasted consolidating mixed-size orders during loading instead of pre-staging them earlier.

Solution: Zoned the warehouse for pre-staging based on delivery routes and order type (pallet, small parcel, fragile).

Result:

36% reduction in time spent loading per truck

Fewer material misplacements and load errors

Faster dispatch and reduced congestion in loading zones

• Labor Optimization Using Order Volume Forecasting

Problem: Overstaffing during slow hours and understaffing during spikes led to idle time or bottlenecks.

Solution: Used ERP data to forecast daily order volume and match labor schedules accordingly.

Result:

12% reduction in overtime costs

Better workload distribution across teams

Higher staff productivity and engagement

• End-of-Shift Debrief and Continuous Improvement Loop

Problem: Operational delays were discussed too late to resolve in real time.

Solution: Introduced 10-minute daily debriefs with yard and warehouse leads to flag issues and track idle time incidents.

Result:

Rapid issue resolution and immediate process tweaks

Better collaboration between handling, loading, and dispatch

Ongoing improvements to layout and workflows

The Outcome: Measurable Gains in Efficiency and Delivery Performance

After implementing these strategies, AtlasPro saw clear operational improvements:

✅ Total idle time reduced by: 43%

✅ Truck turn-around time improved by: 37%

✅ Average delivery delay incidents decreased by: 56%

✅ Labor cost per fulfilled order dropped by: 19%

✅ Contractor satisfaction scores increased by: 24%

Key Takeaways

Visibility is everything: Real-time systems exposed where delays were occurring and allowed the team to act fast.

Staging and dock flow are major levers: Optimizing these two areas made the biggest impact on idle time.

Even small process changes have a compounding effect: Daily debriefs led to multiple small improvements that added up quickly.

Digital tools + people training = transformation.

Final Thoughts

Idle time is one of the most overlooked sources of waste in the construction supply chain—but it’s also one of the easiest to fix with the right tools and approach. AtlasPro’s success shows that reducing idle time doesn’t just improve internal efficiency—it directly improves customer outcomes.

Whether you manage one yard or a multi-site operation, a focused idle-time reduction strategy can unlock better performance across the board.