Warren CAT, one of the largest Caterpillar dealers in North America, had deployed an AutoStore goods-to-person system empowered by Kardex. The system is handling parts fulfillment at Warren CAT’s Store 05 facility in Midland, Texas.
Serving customers across West Texas and Oklahoma, Warren CAT depends on parts availability to help keep customer equipment productive and technicians working. Its Midland operation brings together a storefront, engine shop, warehouse, and parts distribution operation, creating fulfillment requirements that differ significantly from those of a traditional warehouse. Will Call, Parts Shuttle, Engine Shop and other customer orders each carry different priorities, destinations, and levels of urgency.
To support those demands while preparing for continued growth, Warren CAT partnered with Kardex to implement an AutoStore goods-to-person system.
“Dealer parts fulfillment isn’t simply about storing more inventory in less space,” said Fred Fox, the president of Kardex Solutions. “Availability and responsiveness can directly affect technician productivity, customer wait times, and equipment uptime. Warren CAT gave us the opportunity to design around those realities – connecting automation, software and dealer workflows to create a solution built around how their operation actually works.”
Kardex tailored the system to Warren CAT’s needs
Rather than applying a standard automation configuration, Kardex analyzed more than 93,000 historical orders, nearly 300,000 order lines, and almost 25,000 products. This helped Kardex understand Warren CAT’s volume, variability, peak demand and long-term growth requirements.
The resulting system was sized for Year 5 inbound and outbound volumes, and designed to support 3,648 picking lines and 751 put-away lines per day.
The AutoStore system includes:
- 20,852 storage bins within approximately 5,600 square feet
- 20 AutoStore R5 robots
- Three CarouselPorts and two ConveyorPorts
- Kardex FulfillX WES for order orchestration and system control
- Full integration with FDC WMSv2
- Workflows supporting Will Call, Parts Shuttle, Engine Shop and other priority-driven orders
- A high-density design allows Warren CAT to maximize available warehouse space by storing eligible parts vertically within a compact footprint.
With the new system, Warren CAT moves from a manual, travel-based process toward a goods-to-person model, bringing parts directly to operators rather than requiring employees to walk the warehouse to locate and retrieve inventory.
FulfillX connects AutoStore technology with Warren’s warehouse management
AutoStore provides the high-density storage and goods-to-person automation, but the solution also needed to work within the systems Warren CAT already uses to manage parts and orders. Kardex FulfillX provides the warehouse execution layer between Warren CAT’s host warehouse system and AutoStore.
FulfillX sorts outbound orders by category, due date, and priority and translates those requirements into AutoStore tasks. Ports can be configured around specific workflows, allowing Warren CAT to prioritize orders, such as Will Call, Parts Shuttle, and Engine Shop demand, while retaining its existing host system as the system of record.
In Warren CAT’s environment, FulfillX connects with FDC WMSv2, a warehouse management platform used in Cat dealer operations. This helps bridge dealer-specific warehouse workflows with AutoStore execution.
The integration demonstrates how automation can be introduced into an existing WMS environment without replacing the system of record or creating a disconnected automation island. For Cat dealers operating in similar technology environments, the integration also provides a relevant proof point for future automation projects.
Warren CAT’s results so far
Since go-live, Warren CAT said it has already seen meaningful improvements in small-parts storage density, reduced operator travel, and created a cleaner, quieter, more controlled working environment. The system is live and supporting daily storage, picking and processing, while the team continues to refine workflows and build operating maturity.
The solution was also engineered with future growth in mind. Robots and ports can be added independently, while storage and throughput capacity can expand with minimal interruption to daily operations.
“Warren CAT now has a parts fulfillment platform that is delivering practical value today while giving the operation room to grow,” Fox said. “The combination of high-density storage, priority-driven execution and flexible integration creates a foundation that can evolve as parts volumes and service demands change.”