ODW Logistics Streamlines Operations with Takt's Labor Management System
Key Takeaways
ODW Logistics increased workforce productivity by 29% using labor management software: Takt enabled real-time performance tracking and coaching across distribution centers.
Labor management software provides real-time warehouse visibility for ODW Logistics: Takt unifies labor, WMS, automation, and robotics data into a single performance dashboard.
ODW Logistics uses engineered labor standards to improve productivity and benchmarking: Dynamic, workflow-based standards replace static benchmarks and enable accurate performance measurement.
Data-driven labor management improves employee retention and engagement: ODW achieved a 39% increase in retention through real-time feedback and structured coaching.
Replacing legacy systems reduces inefficiencies and operational complexity: Takt modernizes labor management with real-time insights and automated performance tracking.
Unified labor and operational data improves decision-making at ODW Logistics: Centralized analytics enable supervisors and engineers to identify bottlenecks and optimize workflows.
Real-time performance tracking enables continuous improvement across facilities: ODW uses actionable insights to reduce labor waste, improve OTIF service, and drive operational efficiency.
Situation
ODW Logistics is a national third-party logistics (3PL) provider. For decades, it has delivered warehousing, distribution, fulfillment, and transportation services. The supply chain it works in is competitive and complex.
Customer expectations keep rising, and demand keeps shifting. To keep up, ODW's operations teams needed clear visibility into labor productivity across their distribution centers. Their old labor management tools could not deliver it.
Legacy systems lacked real-time insight, flexibility, and useful analytics. That made it hard to improve workforce performance, cut waste, and raise service levels.
The problems ran deep inside the business:
Data sat in separate systems, so performance intelligence was limited.
Supervisors had no timely way to give feedback.
Engineers struggled to find process bottlenecks.
Planners could not match labor plans to real demand.
Labor is a large share of operational spend. So ODW's leaders set out to find a modern labor management system (LMS). They wanted real-time performance insights and engineered labor standards, plus consistent coaching across every facility.
Challenges
No real-time visibility: Legacy systems delivered labor data too late. Supervisors could not coach or fix performance gaps as they happened.
Rigid labor standards: Traditional engineered labor standards were static and hard to maintain. They did not fit real workflows, so ODW could not benchmark performance or adapt to changing throughput.
Operational complexity: ODW runs many distribution centers with different workflows, from e-commerce fulfillment to bulk distribution. It needed labor insight that covered process, people, and performance across the whole network.
Engagement and retention: Frontline teams had no clear feedback and no structured coaching. In a tight labor market, that hurt engagement and retention.
Solution
ODW Logistics partnered with Takt to solve these problems. They rolled out Takt's cloud-native Labor Management System (LMS) and warehouse intelligence platform across key DCs.
Takt pulled data from labor logs, warehouse management systems (WMS), automation, and robotics into one performance dashboard. This gave ODW real-time visibility into how individuals and teams performed.
The solution included three key parts:
Engineered labor standards and real-time tracking: Takt tied dynamic labor benchmarks to real workflows. ODW could now measure productivity against current engineered standards instead of outdated targets.
Actionable analytics for supervisors and engineers: Automated alerts and performance breakdowns showed supervisors where work slowed down. They could coach staff right away and onboard new workers faster. Engineers and operations leaders used the same insights to redesign workflows and cut waste.
Continuous improvement workflows: Takt gave teams a clear process to spot performance anomalies and launch targeted improvements. This made operations more agile.
Results
The Takt rollout produced measurable gains across ODW's labor management and supply chain operations:
Outcome | Impact |
|---|---|
Productivity Increase | 29% improvement in workforce performance through real-time coaching and performance tracking. |
Retention Growth | 39% increase in employee retention as engagement improved through structured feedback loops and clarity around expectations. |
Service Enhancement | Higher on-time, in-full (OTIF) service and improved throughput consistency due to streamlined workflows and transparent labor standards. |
Operational Efficiency | Reduced labor waste and improved process visibility, enabling tighter cost control and better alignment across the supply chain. |
As Adam Schlaudeckler, Director of Engineering at ODW Logistics, put it, “This modern tool improves operational costs, provides better visibility into process and people performance, and identifies areas of waste to drive continuous improvement initiatives.”
With Takt in place, ODW did more than lift labor productivity. Supervisors gained tools to coach well. Performance expectations became consistent across facilities. Workforce engagement grew stronger. And ODW reached these results without heavy CAPEX or a long rollout.
Conclusion
ODW Logistics' work with Takt shows the value of modern labor management, engineered labor standards, and real-time performance intelligence in today's supply chain operations.
ODW replaced its legacy systems with one cloud-based labor management platform. That change reshaped how the company manages workforce performance. It lowered operational costs and raised service levels. It also positioned ODW as a forward-looking leader in 3PL operations.
ODW Logistics
By Takt
Category
3PL
ODW Logistics Streamlines Operations with Takt's Labor Management System
ODW Logistics
Category
3PL
ODW Logistics Streamlines Operations with Takt's Labor Management System
ODW Logistics
Category
3PL
Situation
ODW Logistics is a national third-party logistics (3PL) provider. For decades, it has delivered warehousing, distribution, fulfillment, and transportation services. The supply chain it works in is competitive and complex.
Customer expectations keep rising, and demand keeps shifting. To keep up, ODW's operations teams needed clear visibility into labor productivity across their distribution centers. Their old labor management tools could not deliver it.
Legacy systems lacked real-time insight, flexibility, and useful analytics. That made it hard to improve workforce performance, cut waste, and raise service levels.
The problems ran deep inside the business:
Data sat in separate systems, so performance intelligence was limited.
Supervisors had no timely way to give feedback.
Engineers struggled to find process bottlenecks.
Planners could not match labor plans to real demand.
Labor is a large share of operational spend. So ODW's leaders set out to find a modern labor management system (LMS). They wanted real-time performance insights and engineered labor standards, plus consistent coaching across every facility.
Challenges
No real-time visibility: Legacy systems delivered labor data too late. Supervisors could not coach or fix performance gaps as they happened.
Rigid labor standards: Traditional engineered labor standards were static and hard to maintain. They did not fit real workflows, so ODW could not benchmark performance or adapt to changing throughput.
Operational complexity: ODW runs many distribution centers with different workflows, from e-commerce fulfillment to bulk distribution. It needed labor insight that covered process, people, and performance across the whole network.
Engagement and retention: Frontline teams had no clear feedback and no structured coaching. In a tight labor market, that hurt engagement and retention.
Solution
ODW Logistics partnered with Takt to solve these problems. They rolled out Takt's cloud-native Labor Management System (LMS) and warehouse intelligence platform across key DCs.
Takt pulled data from labor logs, warehouse management systems (WMS), automation, and robotics into one performance dashboard. This gave ODW real-time visibility into how individuals and teams performed.
The solution included three key parts:
Engineered labor standards and real-time tracking: Takt tied dynamic labor benchmarks to real workflows. ODW could now measure productivity against current engineered standards instead of outdated targets.
Actionable analytics for supervisors and engineers: Automated alerts and performance breakdowns showed supervisors where work slowed down. They could coach staff right away and onboard new workers faster. Engineers and operations leaders used the same insights to redesign workflows and cut waste.
Continuous improvement workflows: Takt gave teams a clear process to spot performance anomalies and launch targeted improvements. This made operations more agile.
Results
The Takt rollout produced measurable gains across ODW's labor management and supply chain operations:
Outcome | Impact |
|---|---|
Productivity Increase | 29% improvement in workforce performance through real-time coaching and performance tracking. |
Retention Growth | 39% increase in employee retention as engagement improved through structured feedback loops and clarity around expectations. |
Service Enhancement | Higher on-time, in-full (OTIF) service and improved throughput consistency due to streamlined workflows and transparent labor standards. |
Operational Efficiency | Reduced labor waste and improved process visibility, enabling tighter cost control and better alignment across the supply chain. |
As Adam Schlaudeckler, Director of Engineering at ODW Logistics, put it, “This modern tool improves operational costs, provides better visibility into process and people performance, and identifies areas of waste to drive continuous improvement initiatives.”
With Takt in place, ODW did more than lift labor productivity. Supervisors gained tools to coach well. Performance expectations became consistent across facilities. Workforce engagement grew stronger. And ODW reached these results without heavy CAPEX or a long rollout.
Conclusion
ODW Logistics' work with Takt shows the value of modern labor management, engineered labor standards, and real-time performance intelligence in today's supply chain operations.
ODW replaced its legacy systems with one cloud-based labor management platform. That change reshaped how the company manages workforce performance. It lowered operational costs and raised service levels. It also positioned ODW as a forward-looking leader in 3PL operations.