Warehousing

The BFS Warehousing Department plays a critical role in supporting the operational backbone of the University of Texas at Austin with two central hub warehouses serving a network of 20+ satellite locations. We manage over 13,000 part numbers and an inventory valued at more than $3.5 million. Our team ensures timely distribution, secure storage, and responsive service to Facilities, Utilities, University Housing and Dining, Planning, Design and Construction, and other UT-Austin business groups.

We also provide over-the-counter service to an average of 55 customers daily, with average wait times under 2 minutes and average total service times under 10 minutes. Our custodial delivery team services up to 75 buildings across campus each day, ensuring that essential supplies are always where they’re needed.

Mission 

The mission of the BFS Warehouse Team is to ensure that materials are available when needed while minimizing items that may not be consumed in the future. We strive to maintain a balanced, cost-effective inventory by actively sourcing materials, monitoring market trends, and working directly with internal customers to identify the correct items and quantities to stock. 

Our goal is to control the total value of inventory while ensuring the final cost to the customer is fair, reasonable, and aligned with open market pricing. We prioritize stocking materials that are used frequently, meet departmental specifications, and support operational continuity.

In addition, we focus on identifying and maintaining critical and long lead time items to prevent disruptions to campus operations. We encourage collaboration with our customer groups to identify materials that should be added to stock, and to review and remove obsolete items, ensuring our inventory remains responsive, and efficient.

Values

  • Customer Service
  • Professional Guidance and Support in compliance with UT Policies and Procedures
  • Prompt Support to Warehouse Customers
  • Coordination with BFS Procurement staff for new materials or back orders

Current Initiatives

  • Continuing to maximize available space by removing outdated and obsolete inventory items, and by upgrading shelving and bin systems to improve storage and space efficiency.

Recent Improvements

  • Replaced older text-only bin labels with fully scannable QR based bin labels for every stocked part in both Hub Warehouses.
  • Confirmed and loaded Manufacturer and Model # data for over 11,000 parts in Hub Warehouse stock to ensure quick and correct reordering of inventory parts

Resources

Forms and documents (e.g., delivery request forms, surplus forms)