Data Centers: Sucess Story
Harrington Drives Supply Chain Excellence in Data Center Expansion
Harrington played a pivotal role in stabilizing operations during a major data center expansion by stepping in as a true supply-chain partner at a critical moment. Faced with unpredictable deliveries, limited storage, and a reactive materials process that threatened schedules and profitability, the customer’s project team turned to Harrington to bring order to their processes, setting the stage for a streamlined, proactive supply model that transformed the entire build.
The Challenge
During a major data center expansion project, the build team faced significant supply-chain hurdles that directly impacted their ability to perform efficiently, meet strict schedules, and maintain profitability. From the outset, material flow was inconsistent due to limitations in their supply chain, resulting in unpredictable shipments, unexpected bulk deliveries, storage capacity issues, and limited visibility into replenishment cycles. Consequently, materials were being sourced on a reactive basis, creating operational inefficiencies that strained resources and threatened the project's financial and timeline goals.
The Approach
Harrington immediately saw that implementing a stable, proactive supply model would solve these problems. Engaging in deep collaboration with the customer, they moved quickly to become a true supply-chain partner. Together with the client and key manufacturing partners, Harrington developed a localized stocking strategy to help ensure critical materials were always available near the project site. Weekly scheduled deliveries replaced the previous unpredictable shipment cadence, aligning material flow with the project’s production and installation timelines. To further strengthen reliability, Harrington made strategic bulk inventory purchases to mitigate lead-time risks, invested in a dedicated delivery vehicle for improved responsiveness, and began planning added warehouse support to accommodate the project’s growing volume.
The Response
Operational execution became a major differentiator as Harrington coordinated directly with the project’s leadership team to ensure full alignment on goals, timelines, and documentation requirements. To meet the stringent compliance standards of mission-critical data center environments, they provided same-day shipments complete with full MTR packages. Additionally, Harrington established the foundation for a long-term Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program supported by an annual blanket purchase order, a strategic move that significantly improved administrative efficiency and ensured long-term continuity.
The Results
The impact of these changes is clearly shown in daily operations. Harrington helped cut down on excess inventory and cleared up storage space, allowing the site to run much more smoothly. With a supply chain they could finally predict, the customer saw production settle into a steady rhythm, waste go down, and the entire buildout become more efficient. What started as a quick fix for a materials flow issue has turned into a solid blueprint for success—proving Harrington is the right partner for future data center projects.
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