TIDBITS

Should disaster strike

Nashville, TN-based supply chain solutions provider Fortna in early March completed its implementation of a disaster recovery plan that provides data and e-mail redundancy for business operations. This increases stability for its internal IT infrastructure and safeguards its data from unforeseeable situations. Fortna's IT staff configured an off-site redundant data center with data mirroring that processed and stored in its central data center. This allows Fortna to continue to deliver projects and support its clients without re-creation time or interruption of schedule. In case of disaster, Fortna can switch over to the off-site datacenter and immediately access all business and support data and maintain the full e-mail functionality normally available through the central data center.

Bean's code green

Generally speaking, this winter didn't produce record snowfall amounts in the Northeast, but Freeport ME-based outdoor gear, apparel and home goods mailer L.L. Bean is prepared for the worst. In cases of severe weather, Bean declares a “code green” day, meaning everyone who can get to Freeport is asked to do so. Employees are put to work in areas where they have been trained to fill in, such as restocking the retail store, helping out in the distribution center, or taking phone orders. The code-green policy helped out in February, when Bean endured a pair of winter snowstorms that pounded coastal Freeport.

Block & Co. pallets seeing a shrink

To save its workers the time and effort of wrapping a pallet in plastic, Wheeling, IL-based money-handling supplies merchant Block & Co. last year purchased two stretch wrapper machines that shrink-wrap pallets going to retail stores. According to Joel Sopoci, manager of distribution center operations, the machines do the work of three men. The stretch wrappers, from Louisville, KY-based Lantech, cost about $17,000 each.