In a dynamic industry like building materials distribution, operational agility is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. Companies that can adapt quickly to market shifts, supply chain disruptions, and customer expectations consistently outperform their slower competitors.
This case study explores how IronBridge Supply, a mid-sized, family-owned distribution company, successfully improved operational agility—resulting in a 22% faster order fulfillment rate, 30% fewer backorders, and higher customer satisfaction—all in under 12 months.
🏢 Company Snapshot: IronBridge Supply
Industry: Building materials and hardware distribution
HQ: Des Moines, Iowa
Annual Revenue: $60M
Challenges:
Inflexible processes
Slow response to demand surges
Frequent stockouts and fulfillment delays
Limited visibility across teams and systems
Leadership recognized that to grow profitably and maintain service excellence, they needed to become more agile—not just operationally, but strategically.
🎯 Goals for Operational Agility
IronBridge set out to:
Reduce order cycle time
Improve inventory responsiveness
Break down silos between sales, operations, and purchasing
Build a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement
🛠 Agility Strategy 1: Map and Streamline Key Workflows
What They Did:
IronBridge started by mapping its full order-to-fulfillment process and identifying delays, redundancies, and manual handoffs.
Key Changes:
Eliminated paper-based approvals for inventory replenishment
Digitized PO requests and connected systems across purchasing and warehousing
Standardized delivery scheduling and route planning
Result:
🚚 Fulfillment cycle time dropped by 22% within 6 months.
🧠 Agility Strategy 2: Implement Cross-Functional Daily Huddles
What They Did:
They replaced fragmented email updates with 15-minute daily stand-ups involving sales, operations, and warehouse leads.
Key Outcomes:
Immediate visibility into backorders and hot orders
Faster reallocation of stock based on daily demand
Improved communication on delays, customer complaints, and product issues
Result:
📦 Backorder response time improved by 35%.
💻 Agility Strategy 3: Invest in Real-Time Data Dashboards
What They Did:
IronBridge implemented a lightweight dashboard solution that pulled real-time data from their ERP and WMS.
KPIs Tracked:
Order fulfillment rates
Inventory turns by category
Service level by customer tier
On-time delivery %
Result:
📊 Managers could spot trends early and make proactive decisions, reducing reactive firefighting.
👥 Agility Strategy 4: Cross-Train and Empower Teams
What They Did:
Instead of fixed warehouse roles, they implemented a flexible staffing model where team members could shift between picking, packing, staging, and loading.
Key Moves:
Created a skill matrix for each team member
Rolled out quick-start guides for each core task
Recognized employees who completed multi-role certification
Result:
👷♂️ Warehouse efficiency increased during peak periods without adding headcount.
🔄 Agility Strategy 5: Adopt Rolling Forecasts and Agile Replenishment
What They Did:
IronBridge shifted from static quarterly forecasts to rolling monthly demand planning, with adjustments based on market trends and field input.
Key Tools Used:
Dynamic reorder points
Supplier scorecards for lead time variability
Sales rep field input to fine-tune forecasts weekly
Result:
📈 Fill rates increased to 96%, while reducing dead stock by 18%.
🔍 Outcomes After 12 Months
MetricBeforeAfter
Order Cycle Time4.2 days3.3 days (↓ 22%)
Backorder IncidentsAvg. 230/month160/month (↓ 30%)
Inventory Turns5.67.1
Customer Satisfaction (Survey Score)78%91%
Employee Engagement64%82%
🧠 Key Lessons Learned
Agility isn’t about speed—it’s about visibility, flexibility, and response.
Small process changes, when aligned across teams, create outsized impact.
Culture is critical—empowerment and communication fuel agile behavior.
Data needs to be real-time and role-specific to drive decisions.
✅ Conclusion: Operational Agility = Competitive Advantage
IronBridge Supply’s journey shows that agility is not reserved for big tech or startups. With the right mindset, tools, and team involvement, any distribution company can become more responsive, efficient, and resilient.
