Developed and documented the complete distribution operations workflow through comprehensive flowchart mapping.
When I first started, one of the biggest challenges was that none of our distribution processes were clearly documented. Things like receiving, fulfillment, returns, pallet flow, bin assignment, and restocking were understood in pieces, but there was no single picture of how everything connected. I took the initiative to spend several days in the war room with the head of operations to map out the entire operation from the inventory perspective, breaking it down step by step.
What I created was the first full flowchart of our distribution network. It showed how inventory moved from inbound pallets through replenishment, bin assignment, and storage, and then branched into distribution activities like fulfillment, returns, and receiving. Along the way, I also uncovered problem areas that had never been clearly identified before, like uneven inventory distribution, excess stock, pallet consolidation issues, and poor communication handoffs between teams like customer service and warehouse staff.
This wasn't just an exercise in visualization-it became the foundation for how we aligned operations moving forward. For the first time, the business could see all of its distribution touchpoints in one place, identify where breakdowns were happening, and start building plans of action to fix them.
For me personally, it was the project where I really made my bones in operations. I was able to take something completely undocumented and turn it into a structured, actionable reference point that set the stage for later efficiency improvements like multi-order picking and turnover analysis.