Engineering students at the University of Tennessee are getting a hands-on education on streamlining inventory and reducing delivery times thanks to a generous donation from one of the country’s leading maker of storage bins.
Akro-Mils — the Akron, Ohio, based manufacturer of storage and organization products — recently donated $4,700 worth of products to the university’s Knoxville College of Engineering so that students could learn innovative, new ways to organize and optimize inventory in practical, real-world environment.
Hands-On Learning
The students, who are enrolled in a course at the Reliability and Maintainability Center, are studying “lean techniques”, according to an Akron-Mills news release announcing the donation. These include ways to use maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) organizations to shorten delivery times and optimize product quality while keeping inventory, floor space, and labor to the lowest possible levels.
When university officials asked the company for the donation, executives were more than happy to send a variety of products, including AkroBins, attached lid containers, ShelfMax bins, wire shelving, enclosed steel shelving, AkroDrawers, steel portable tables, and even a ProCart that can be used for moving materials from one area of the classroom “warehouse” to another.
Real World Applications
The techniques students learn using the donated equipment can be implemented into the real world once they graduate the program and enter the real world workplace, according to Dr. Klaus M. Blache, research professor in the engineering school and director of the R&M Center.
“Being able to walk into a setting that is like what our students will see in their careers truly enhances the learning experience,” Blache said. “Knowledge only has value when you can put it to use. Being able to show examples of best practices is worth a thousand words!”