From Clunky Carts to a Carousel Symphony: QSC Audio Conducts a 70% Throughput Boost with FloStor Integration

The Client: Crafting Crystal-Clear Sound, Seeking Seamless Flow

QSC Audio Products is a leader in the professional audio industry, known for designing and manufacturing high-performance amplifiers and other sound equipment that power everything from concert halls to stadiums. Since 1968, they’ve built a reputation for quality and innovation, experiencing consistent, rapid growth that eventually outpaced their traditional manufacturing methods.

The Challenge

Imagine a thriving business that’s growing 20-25% year after year. Orders are booming, but your internal operations are stuck in the past. This was the reality for QSC Audio before their transformation. Spread across a collection of older buildings, their manufacturing process relied on a manual “push system” where materials were moved inefficiently by carts between disconnected areas.

The Growing Pains of Disconnected Operations

For many businesses experiencing rapid growth, what worked in the early days—manual processes, separate workspaces, reliance on simple tools like carts and forklifts—can quickly become a major roadblock. QSC faced this head-on:

• Bottlenecks and Delays: The reliance on manual cart movement and fragmented workspaces created choke points, slowing down production and extending cycle times. It was like trying to navigate a bustling city with a horse and buggy – slow and prone to traffic jams.
• Limited Throughput: The existing setup simply couldn’t keep pace with the accelerating demand, limiting the volume of amplifiers they could produce and ship. Growth was being constrained by their physical capacity and process efficiency.
• Waste and Inefficiency: The manual handling and disconnected processes inherent in the old system led to unnecessary steps, wasted time, and excess work-in-process inventory sitting idle between stations. This tied up capital and space.
• Lack of Flexibility: Adapting to changing product mixes, varying order sizes (even down to a single unit), or shifting priorities was cumbersome and disruptive, hindering their ability to respond quickly to market demands.
• Space Constraints: While they eventually moved to a new facility, the need to maximize efficiency within their manufacturing footprint was critical. Manual processes often require more space than optimized automated ones.

As Chief Operating Officer John Andrews explained, the manual methods were no longer sustainable for a company with their growth trajectory. A more efficient, centralized approach was essential to support their strategic plan for continued expansion and profitability.

The Solution

Recognizing that simply buying new equipment wouldn’t solve their fundamental workflow issues, QSC Audio sought a partner who could look at their entire operation, understand their strategic goals, and design a cohesive system. They needed a materials handling integrator – someone who could act as the architect and general contractor for their new facility’s internal logistics.

Think of a system integrator like the conductor of an orchestra. They don’t just provide the instruments (conveyors, carousels, software, etc.); they understand how each instrument needs to play its part, how they all fit together, and how to bring them into harmony to create a beautiful, efficient performance – in this case, a high-performing manufacturing and distribution operation.

This is where FloStor Engineering partnered with QSC. Instead of offering isolated pieces of machinery, FloStor focused on creating a unified system that would support QSC’s lean manufacturing strategy, emphasizing just-in-time principles and waste elimination. They didn’t just fill the empty space; they designed the flow within it, planning for increased capacity, flexibility, and efficiency from the ground up.

Engineering a Symphony of Efficiency

FloStor’s approach involved weaving together various technologies and processes into a single, intelligent system within QSC’s new 21,000 sq. ft. facility. The core components weren’t just installed; they were integrated to work together seamlessly:

• Horizontal Carousels: The Automated Parts Department and Assembly Feeder: These automated storage and retrieval systems became the heart of both parts management and assembly feeding, bringing the right parts to the right place at the right time.
  • Double-stacked carousels near receiving efficiently managed over 2,000 smaller incoming parts, dramatically reducing the time and effort needed for put away and picking.
  • Additional carousels fed a progressive assembly line, bringing parts directly to workers’ workstations in a continuous loop, minimizing walking and searching.
• Integrated Conveyor Systems: The Automated Pathways: Multi-tiered conveyors were strategically placed to move subassemblies and finished goods smoothly and quickly between different stages of the manufacturing and testing process, eliminating the need for manual carting.
• Advanced Information Handling: The Nervous System: Complementing QSC’s existing material requirements planning (MRP) system, FloStor integrated automatic data collection technologies to provide real-time visibility and control.
  • Barcodes were used on receipt forms and work orders for precise tracking of materials and assemblies throughout the process.
  • RFID tags embedded in totes and captive pallets automatically linked physical units to their digital information, enabling smart routing and tracking without manual scanning at every point.
  • Stand-alone software managed carousel movements and kit picking, coordinating with the MRP system to ensure materials were ready exactly when and where they were needed.

Progressive Assembly Powered by Proximity

The assembly process itself was redesigned around a progressive assembly model, fed efficiently by the horizontal carousels and conveyors. This meant products moved step-by-step through the assembly process, with materials delivered directly to the workstations.

• Kits were picked daily based on MRP data and delivered to subassembly workstations via carousels.
• Subassemblies, identified by barcoded work orders and RFID-tagged totes, were automatically routed by the control system to testing or final assembly based on the specific product’s needs.
• For final assembly, a continuous, 65-ft long carousel delivered required parts directly to workstations in a zoned, rotating loop. Workers could pick parts as they passed by, significantly reducing movement and wait times.

Empowering the Workforce with Smart Technology

A key philosophy underpinning the design was leveraging technology to empower QSC’s skilled employees, rather than replacing their decision-making capabilities. The automation handled the repetitive, physically demanding tasks, freeing up workers to focus on assembly and quality.

“All the key decisions we leave up to the people on the floor. You would pay far too much to get equipment to do what people do best: thinking and making informed decisions,” says John Andrews, Chief Operating Officer.

The integrated data handling system provided real-time visibility and control, allowing operators to manage tasks like put away based on system instructions and facilitating flexible workstation assignments based on production needs.

Designing for Flexibility and Future Growth

The integrated system was designed with flexibility in mind, easily accommodating variations like lot sizes of one without disrupting the flow. This inherent adaptability ensures QSC can continue to meet diverse customer demands as they grow. Finished goods were moved by conveyor to packaging and then to conventional racking for storage or immediate shipment, completing the streamlined flow.

The Result: Conducting Peak Performance

By partnering with FloStor for a holistic, integrated materials handling solution, QSC Audio achieved dramatic improvements that transformed their operations from a bottleneck into a competitive advantage, demonstrating the power of strategic automation and integration.

• Massive Throughput Increase: Manufacturing throughput surged by an impressive 70%, allowing them to meet escalating customer demand.
• Accelerated Inventory Turns: The annual rate of production inventory turns more than tripled, from 25 to 80, indicating a much leaner and faster-moving operation that reduced carrying costs.
• Reduced Cycle Time: The average component now moves from receiving to a finished amplifier in just 3.25 days, a significant reduction that speeds up order fulfillment.
• Optimized Space Utilization: This significant productivity boost was achieved with only a modest 15% increase in floor space, proving that efficiency isn’t just about building bigger, but building smarter.
• Waste Elimination: The transition to a pull system and integrated flow significantly reduced work-in-process and manual handling waste, aligning with their lean manufacturing goals.

“This system has allowed us to eliminate quite a bit of waste in how we handle materials. And that’s going to be a major benefit to us as we continue to grow,” said John Andrews, chief operating officer for QSC Audio.

By treating the warehouse as a complex system requiring expert design and integration, FloStor helped QSC Audio compose a powerful symphony of automation, data, and human expertise, setting the stage for continued growth and operational excellence. This case study is a prime example of how a materials handling system integrator translates business challenges into physical, high-performing realities.