Lista workspace system keeps MRO stock traffic moving at
Genesee County Road Commission

Flint, MI / County vehicle maintenance facility

 
 
 Problem
 The Genesee County Road Commission maintenance department oversees the maintenance of all department facilities. This includes five garages, and the primary equipment department in Flint, which services over 300 vehicles (from cars to graders to loaders). But the department was housed in a garage area with disorganized overflow stuffed in a cramped space. They were using metal and wood shelving that was over 30 years old, and parts were stored – or more precisely, haphazardly scattered – in various locations on shelves, on tabletops and even on the floor.
Objective
 When the department moved to a new facility, a top-to-bottom rethinking of storage and workspace systems was required.
Solution
 Today the maintenance department is a model of procedural effectiveness, efficient inventory management and complete wall-to-wall organization. Tim Sabin, operations/equipment director for the Commission, was a driving force in the Commission's turnaround – and he credits much of this transformation to an overhaul of the facility's storage and workspace equipment and the introduction of a new high density storage system from Lista.

The Commission's storage solution covers a huge range of Lista offerings: six workstations, an issue counter, 42 modular drawer cabinet combinations of varying width and depth, 81 sections of Storage Wall® system, and a shipping/packaging station.

The facility's Equipment Department stockroom has perhaps seen the greatest transformation. The department is housed in a completely renovated space that has twice the storage capacity and no stock overflow. Lista's Storage Wall systems, with their unique combination of drawers, shelves, wide-span beams and roll-out trays, were the hero in what proved to be a dramatic transformation.

"The Lista products have improved our organization and efficiency," Sabin says. "It's surprising the number of items you can put in a drawer in comparison to a shelf." These systems, along with an array of custom-configured Lista modular drawer storage cabinets, are home to all the parts mechanics use to repair and maintain vehicles, including coil filters, spark plugs, oil filters, starters, engine parts and more. Larger, bulky items – including an extensive library of equipment repair manuals – still reside on shelves where they can be readily and easily accessed. But the smaller parts have snug, secure and protected homes in Lista's compartmentalized drawers. And thanks to Lista drawers' 440 lb. capacity, even extremely heavy parts such as lift cylinders, starters, alternators and batteries can be safely stored in the drawers.

Individual work areas have also undergone a huge change. "With the new Lista workstations," he continues, "we've not only consolidated space, but have set up the area so that everything we use now has an official home." The new workstations can hold a large number of items, including files, thanks to the fact that they are partnered with Lista modular drawer storage cabinets with file drawers. Each workstation is paired with a Lista locker where workers can store clothing and personal items.

The workstations are located directly behind a new issue counter that wraps around the outer perimeter of the room. Before, the issue counter was just that – a counter. Today a custom-configured issue counter features Lista modular drawer cabinets and butcher block tops to create a truly practical workspace. Stock keepers can now store fast moving parts like wire ends, spray lubricants and paints right at their fingertips, and at the point of issuance.

 Benefits
 Says Sabin, "The Lista storage system has allowed us to organize our parts, equipment and workspace so that everything is readily accessible, inventory is better managed, and we have a much more efficient use of space. Lista is not in it for the short term – they're going to be there to take care of any needs we may have down the road. Even though we've never had a problem, we know theyíll be there if we need assistance. We wouldn't hesitate to work with them again."