Inventory Visibility Case Study – Food & Beverage

FOOD AND BEVERAGE MANUFACTURER GLOBAL OPERATIONS

One of the world’s largest non-alcoholic beverage companies and the world’s largest retailer brand soft drink provider is using TransitionWorks for their real-time barcode data collection solution to improve inventory accuracy, customer service and shipping efficiencies in their operations.

  • Headquarters: North America
  • Multiple manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe

BUSINESS ISSUES

The company was implementing BPCS ERP system and needed an automated data collection system to feed real-time inventory movements directly into BPCS. Entering data on the green screens was not an option and delayed the entry of data. They needed a system that would:

  • Provide real time inventory data into BPCS
  • Increase efficiencies for material handling
  • Provide data for critical recall of product if needed
  • Reduce paperwork to the warehouse
  • Be flexible and scalable to be modified for their specific needs
  • Provide lot traceability and force FIFO (FEFO– first expiration first out) picking for customer shipments, reducing obsolete inventory.

TRANSITIONWORKS SOLUTIONS

Real-Time information
The solution for this company required a customized approach using TransitionWorks Design Time to develop specific inventory transactions feeding into BPCS.

The TransitionWorks Adapter for BPCS is used to post the inventory, purchasing, shop order receipts, and customer picking transactions. Crystal reports was used to print the bill of lading upon completion of customer picking process and meets other reporting requirements. A variety of RF hardware was implemented as part of this application such as: vehicle mounted units, hand held scanners, and bar code printers.

The recommended solution included:

  • Inventory Visibility (customized)
  • TWS-Design Time
  • TWS-Run Time
  • Adapter for BPCS – Order Entry
  • Variety of RF hardware including VMU’s and hand held scanners

 

“With this technology, we not only capture inventory in realtime, but validate on the RF devices and track inventory movements as they occur by the plant and warehouse employees,” stated the Operations Manager.

BUSINESS BENEFITS

Putting the end user in control to manage the business transactions and making the user responsible for the information was a key goal for the solution. Scan and validate inventory transactions as products are received, manufactured and shipped eliminated errors and reduced labor significantly.

  • Increased inventory accuracy
  • High Availability 24/7
  • Easy integration into BPCS
  • Scalable to all facilities
  • Handled heavy volumes of data
  • Ability to communicate to PLC’s on the palletizer
  • Reduced inventory shrinkage due to obsolecence
  • Increased material handler efficiencies
  • Increased accuracy of customer orders shipped

 

According to the Project manager,
“Phase the project! Once users understand the power of TransitionWorks software, they want to immediately start adding to the project. It is like unleashing the user’s imagination for everything they have ever wanted a data collection system to do for them.”

ABOUT TRANSITIONWORKS SOFTWARE

TransitionWorks Software delivers innovative solutions that allow warehouse, field service, and sales operations to capture critical information, improve visibility of assets, processes and orders, and interact with their company’s ERP system in real-time wherever they are. Using the latest smartphone, RFID, PLC, biometric, barcode and cloud technologies, TransitionWorks’ platform is transforming hundreds of customer operations in over 20 countries across the globe. By radically simplifying processes and then putting the latest information in the hands of front-line personnel at all times, its customers make better decisions, reduce inventory levels, lower operating costs and generate higher returns.

 

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