Case Study

Taking GNC's Inventory to New Heights

How Corvus Robotics Drones are Counting Smarter, Not Harder

The Challenges

  • Labor-Intensive Process: Inventory counting required large teams to manually audit 40,000 locations across two distribution centers.
  • Time: The cycle counting process took place daily, sometimes over weekends, and required external audits twice a year.
  • Resource Constraints: Material handling equipment had to be diverted for cycle counting, reducing availability for other tasks.
  • Limited Frequency: Full cycle counts were only performed two to four times annually.
  • Human Error: High volume of inventory movement led to misplaced products and errors.
  • Operational Disruptions: With no downtime in the Indianapolis facility, it was difficult to allocate lift trucks and staff for cycle counting without affecting operations.

The Corvus Solution

  • Implemented Corvus One™ Autonomous Inventory Management System to more accurately and efficiently track and store material for GNC distribution centers in Indiana and Arizona. The drones operate throughout the day during business hours to keep up with GNC’s high order volume, improving inventory accuracy, reducing shrinkage, and minimizing human errors. By automating daily cycle counts, the drones have freed up labor and material handling equipment, enabling faster order fulfillment and more efficient warehouse operations.

What GNC Says

“I like the Corvus Robotics drones because they are out of sight, out of mind. They’re doing things that there’s really not a lot of value to an individual on, but to the business, it’s priceless.”

Bill Monk HeadshotBill Monk
VP of Distribution

 

A Corvus One drone takes off from its landing pad at GNC's Whitestown, Indiana distribution center.

With the Corvus One Autonomous Inventory Management System, GNC no longer has to pull MHE and labor from other tasks to perform audits. 

A Corvus One drone performs a cycle counting mission at GNC's Whitestown, Indiana distribution center.

Corvus One drones can count pallets and cases, batch scan multiple SKUs in the same location, and provide a volumetric analysis of the slot's storage capacity. 

The Impact

  • Increased Inventory Accuracy: Errors and shrinkage were significantly reduced, leading to improved stock reliability.
  • Higher Counting Frequency: Facility-wide inventory counts now occur 10–12 times per year, compared to 2–4 times before Corvus One.
  • Labor Reallocation: Inventory control staff was reduced from 20 to 13, with redeployed employees working on other projects.
  • Efficiency Gains: Drones perform 7–8 flights per day, each lasting approximately 30 minutes, providing real-time inventory data.
  • Autonomous Operations: Drones operate independently, freeing up labor and material handling equipment for other warehouse functions.
  • Faster Error Resolution: The ability to quickly locate misplaced inventory and reconcile discrepancies has improved, preventing disruptions to order fulfillment operations. 

Drop Us a Line

  • GNC is a leading global health and wellness brand that provides customers with a wide variety of science-based products and solution services to live well. The brand touches consumers worldwide by providing its products and services through company-owned retail locations, domestic and international franchise locations, digital commerce, and strong wholesale and retail partnerships across the globe. GNC's diversified, multi-channel business model has worldwide reach and a well-recognized, trusted brand. By combining exceptional innovation, product development capabilities, and an extensive global distribution network, GNC manages a best-in-class product portfolio.