The operational problem
Project Maple changed Grainger’s primary parcel carrier from UPS to FedEx company-wide. DFDC needed a new parcel operating plan connecting destination ZIP codes with FedEx stations and their required arrival times. Intraday cut times and staggered pulls needed to reflect projected volume, while DC operations needed to align conveyor diverts and labor schedules with the plan. The transition also shifted customers’ longstanding time-of-day delivery patterns, generating transportation escalations that needed structured intake and triage.
My contribution
I rebuilt DFDC’s parcel plan from scratch. I worked with FedEx Ground Logistics Managers and Worldwide Account Executives to determine which destination ZIP codes needed to feed each station and by what time. I used historical volume to develop projections, set intraday cut times, and establish appropriate staggered pull times. I then worked with DC leadership at the senior director level to align on the plan and the conveyor divert setup and labor scheduling needed to execute it.
Escalation support before my promotion
The escalation work began while I was a Transportation Specialist, before my promotion. The current version of Service Opportunities was not yet in place. Sellers emailed requests to various STAs, Freight Admin, and Transportation leaders. I was placed on special assignment to help work through them. The carrier transition rolled out in waves, and the initially manageable workload became unsustainable as more DCs transitioned.
Intake, tracking, and seller guidance
I created a Microsoft Forms submission form and a SharePoint site to centralize intake and tracking. I also documented which issues we could act on and which delivery changes sellers needed to treat as the new norm, so they could set appropriate customer expectations.
Learning Power Automate from scratch
I had no prior experience with Power Automate, but I knew it could support the workflow I had in mind. I taught myself using online forums and YouTube videos, working out how to build the solution without AI assistance.
Connecting submissions and email responses
One Power Automate flow extracted the relevant fields from Microsoft Forms submissions and populated SharePoint. A second flow used that information to generate emails and log responses.
A hidden reference string in the email body linked each response to the corresponding interaction.
Review and approval as volume grew
Requests eventually reached about 100 per day. I used Power Automate to route each seller’s request to their aligned RSVP for review and approval. Approved requests then came to me and a newly formed small team for handling when appropriate.
Resolving approved requests
Resolution often involved conversations with FedEx leadership about whether driver routes could be prioritized to address the customer’s needs. In some cases involving high-profile customers, resolution involved hard-coding the account to ship with UPS.
- Microsoft Forms submission
- Power Automate records in SharePoint
- RSVP email review & response logging
- Approved requests to the handling team
- Case-specific resolution
DFDC rollout
Early issues included packages loaded incorrectly at the DC and manifest errors caused by ZIP-code misalignment in EWM. Hypercare monitoring and follow-up conversations with the appropriate teams, including GTG and DC leadership, helped resolve those issues quickly.
The delivered change
DFDC completed a successful rollout of the new parcel operating plan. Escalation handling moved from scattered emails to Microsoft Forms intake and SharePoint tracking, with Power Automate generating emails and logging responses against the corresponding interaction. RSVP review and approval came before requests reached the handling team. Seller guidance distinguished actionable issues from delivery changes that required new customer expectations.
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