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Unlock Hidden Potential in Your Current Supply Chain Operations

Unlock hidden potential in your supply chain operations by sweating the assets to maximize the value of your existing resources to elevate performance. In this FORTNA blog, we explore strategies to boost utilization, productivity and throughput without major capital investments.

by Dan Avila

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In today’s economic climate, businesses are asked to do more with less. Budgets are tight, capital investments are under scrutiny and yet supply chains must continue to perform. Smart companies are asking, “How can we get more out of what we already have?” The answer: Sweat the assets.

What does “sweat the assets” really mean?

At its core, it is more than a clever phrase. Sweat the assets is a supply chain strategy rooted in maximizing the value of your existing systems, automation and infrastructure without rushing into costly investments. It is about doing more with what you already have, which includes:

Upgrades instead of overhauls
Maintenance over replacement
Software optimization instead of software selection and implementation

Optimizing current supply chain assets can help organizations overcome operational challenges

Why now?

Today’s operations face an uphill climb:

Labor shortages
Increased operating costs
High customer expectations
Aging infrastructure
Unstable demand patterns
Geopolitical tariffs

As capital investments come under heavier scrutiny, optimizing your current supply chain assets becomes not only wise but essential. Companies that sweat the assets gain a competitive edge, improve resilience and maintain service levels using what is already in place. By focusing on driving utilization, increasing productivity and boosting throughput, organizations can effectively transform operational constraints into opportunities for growth.

The shift toward asset optimization

In the post-pandemic years in material handling, many companies operated under the assumption that e-Commerce growth would continue to skyrocket. In 2021 and 2022, sales soared as organizations raced to expand direct-to-consumer capabilities. By 2023, growth had stabilized, and many organizations were left with overbuilt, underutilized systems and a simple question, “What now?”

The answer? Sweat the assets.

Asset optimization is now the leading strategy to extract more ROI from past investments. Many companies are turning inward, looking for ways to draw more value from their existing assets. This includes targeted system upgrades, software enhancements and small but impactful modernization projects that yield measurable gains in productivity and efficiency.

Four key strategies to optimize existing systems

1. System upgrades and retrofits
Your existing automation system may still have plenty of life left in it. A strategic upgrade, such as replacing outdated PLCs, controls or scanners, can enhance throughput and extend the longevity of your current infrastructure. Retrofitting a part of your operation can result in reduced downtime, improved reliability and better energy efficiency with far less disruption than a full replacement.

2. Small-scale modernization projects
Small modernization projects, like optimizing conveyor layouts, improving pick and pack ergonomics, or upgrading sortation points, can yield big returns. These changes do not require a complete system redesign but are based on evaluating current pain points and targeting incremental improvements to drive utilization and increase productivity.

3. Software enhancements
Software is often the quickest path to capacity gains. Tools such as FORTNA’s warehouse execution system (WES), can enable dynamic batching and improve real-time visibility while integrating labor and automation more effectively. This can unlock capacity without adding labor, new hardware or square footage to an existing facility, effectively increasing throughput and enhancing resource efficiency.

4. Data-driven operational design
Leverage operational data to fine-tune your existing systems, identify bottlenecks and uncover practical solutions that boost throughput and streamline inefficient workflows. It’s not just about the assets you have; it’s about how effectively they work together.

Just like in the automotive world, where auto parts companies track the average age of vehicles on the road to predict demand, businesses in our space are shifting their mindset. When people hold onto cars for longer, they invest in maintenance, not new purchases. In logistics and fulfillment, the same holds true. You extend the life of your systems, improve their output, and get every drop of value from your existing infrastructure.

Key strategies for optimization:

System upgrades and retrofits
Small-scale modernization projects
Software enhancements
Data-driven operational design

Where to start

At FORTNA, the first step is understanding the specific challenges each operation faces. Instead of starting with solutions, we begin by asking, “What problem are you trying to address?” Whether it’s throughput, labor constraints or space inefficiencies, the right approach depends on the unique dynamics of your facility.

Take carton-on-demand systems, for example. Many companies rely on a limited number of carton sizes, which leads to overpacking, wasted materials and inefficiencies. With right-size carton solutions, like the ones from our strategic partner Packsize, you can generate a custom box on demand, perfectly fitted to the product’s dimensions. It is faster, greener and much more cost-effective.

This approach delivers a targeted, measurable impact. You do not need a massive investment to unlock meaningful improvement. With a focused evaluation of your current state, supported by data, site observations and team insights, it can help identify enhancements that offer the strongest return on operational efficiency and performance.

Questions to ask

If you are considering how to get more out of your current systems, start with these questions:

Are my systems performing at peak efficiency, or is throughput declining over time?
What data am I using to make real-time operational decisions?
Could software help me orchestrate labor, automation and orders more intelligently?
Have we compared the ROI of upgrades vs. rebuilds?
How well does my current setup scale for growth or seasonal spikes?

There’s gold in your existing infrastructure

After more than 30 years in this industry, I have seen firsthand how smart, strategic upgrades can uncover the gold buried in your current operations. Whether in industrial manufacturing, food and beverage, aftermarket parts, retail, life sciences or other high-volume distribution, the story is the same. There’s real value waiting to be mined from what you already own, and we will help you extract it.

KPI metrics to monitor:

Cost per unit shipped
Average time between failure and repairs
Throughput per hour
Labor cost per unit
System uptime
Packing material usage
Order accuracy
Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)

FORTNA Can Help

Sweating your assets starts with understanding where you are and where you want to go. At FORTNA, we help you assess your current operations, identify high-impact upgrades and implement enhancements that drive long-term value. Whether you are dealing with aging equipment or scaling for growth, we help turn constraints into a competitive advantage. Schedule a discovery call and unlock the full potential of your supply chain today.

Schedule a discovery call today

About the author

Dan Avila

Vice President, Sales

Dan has over 30 years of industry experience in supply chain consulting and sales. His varied background in sales and sales management includes large-scale material handling automation, WMS (warehouse management system), WES (warehouse execution system), WCS (warehouse control system), and other products and services.