Valve manufacturer SAMSON manages 4 million parts with Easy WMS

At SAMSON, everything flows

SAMSON develops high-quality products designed to reduce downtime and maintenance costs for its clients. The company manufactures, sells, and distributes top-grade control valves — including modular linear globe, rotary, ball, and butterfly types — in various metals and sizes. It serves sectors handling water, process fluids, slurries, steam, and gas applications across several industries. SAMSON Controls USA distributes its products worldwide, with a strong focus on the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Controlling the flow, pressure, and temperature of steam, gases, and liquids is critical in many industries. SAMSON designs and manufactures essential components such as control valves, self-operated regulators, and automation solutions. Its US subsidiary SAMSON Controls distributes these products worldwide, with a strong focus on the United States, Canada, and Mexico. SAMSON Controls wanted to boost its order throughput and improve inventory accuracy in a way that would facilitate these tasks for employees. To achieve this, the company implemented Interlake Mecalux’s Easy WMS warehouse management system in its facility in Baytown, Texas.

“We’ve worked with Interlake Mecalux products for many years. Easy WMS offered the best choice of options and flexibility compared to other solutions,” says James Evans, COO at SAMSON Controls. The company used to manage its inventory through an ERP system. However, it needed more flexible warehouse operations, coordination of material picks, and better use of space. By combining Easy WMS reporting and analytics with its business intelligence (BI) tools, SAMSON Controls has streamlined decision-making.

“We wanted a system that would work out-of-the-box and require as few modifications as necessary. Interoperability was a key factor,” says Evans. With Easy WMS, SAMSON Controls picks orders more efficiently through optimized putaway strategies. The software also enables much more agile management of nearly 9,500 unique items and around four million components.

SAMSON Controls assembles models on demand and personalizes its products for each client and application. It works with components that vary considerably in size and weight, ranging from a few grams to several hundred kilograms. Product families often share a substantial number of parts, which are stored in “supermarkets” — mini distribution centers near the assembly lines that enable fast, reliable replenishment.

Coordinated order picks

At SAMSON Controls, materials not stored in these “supermarkets” are picked through a two-step process. Heavier parts are stored on very-narrow-aisle selective pallet racking, while smaller components are kept in high-density vertical lift modules. When needed, Easy WMS directs both types of products to a consolidation area where they are palletized before being moved to assembly.

“Since implementing Easy WMS, we’ve achieved a higher number of daily putaway, picking, and shipment tasks,” says Evans, who also highlights the system’s robust cycle-counting capability. This solution is a key asset for the company’s demand-driven operations. Today, SAMSON Controls processes around 50 orders per shift, each containing an average of 40 components. “Our order picking efficiency has increased markedly, leading to shorter throughput times,” says Evans.

With Easy WMS, SAMSON Controls is ready to continue providing its customers with top-quality solutions for fluid process control. “We’ve seen major improvements in our receiving workflow, delivering measurable results,” says Evans.

We wanted a system that would work out-of-the-box and require as few modifications as necessary. Interoperability was a key factor.