When converting buildings from static shelving to robotic systems, operations essentially have to be paused – and every hour of downtime comes at significant cost. For this project, all three site conversions needed to be completed within 48 hours.

Initially, a vendor proposed a solution involving a large fabricated steel platform to move 18 pods at a time to the required levels. While the vendor considered this approach innovative, I had reservations. Nevertheless, internal pressure pushed us to proceed, and the platform was built – at considerable expense.

Eric from NPSG happened to be on-site and immediately noted a key flaw: there needed to be more than one pickup area, as any single point of failure would halt operations. We tested the system, and it failed completely.

Rather than persisting with the original solution, Eric and I spent hours whiteboarding an alternative approach and designing a staffing plan based on the number of pods. I then asked him if NPSG could implement the solution across all three sites – he confirmed they could.

Despite initial pressure to use the original vendor, I chose NPSG based on trust in their expertise. The stakes were high: failure at any site could have resulted in my dismissal.

NPSG not only delivered successfully but also cost less than the original vendor. The second facility ran even more smoothly, partly because NPSG stepped in to cover part of another vendor’s workload when they struggled to keep up during 24-hour operations. The third site was completed well within the 48-hour limit, demonstrating NPSG’s planning, contingency strategies, and operational expertise.