Case Study
Primo Produce
“Our turnover has dropped to almost zero.”
Dennis Michael, Director of Operations
Member Since:
2001
Headquarters:
Allentown, PA
Facility Size:
30,000 square feet
Users:
30
Product:
WMS
Industry:
Produce Distributor
Industries Served:
Foodservice providers, Supermarkets, Food, management companies
“Our turnover has dropped to almost zero. The ease of training new associates and the improved ratios have had a very positive, upward impact on selector take-home pay.”
Results:
- Mis-picks and produce shorts reduced by 63%
- Selector productivity increased by 35%
- 64% reduction in inventory control labor hours
- Picker productivity is automatically tracked and reported
- Automated work assignments, worker tracking and product lot tracking for all outbound order selection.
- Mobile workers productivity increased by utilizing handheld computers for managing their work, scanning barcodes, and updating the system all in real time, eliminating unnecessary trips and paper.
- Barcodes reduced mis-loading pallets, eliminated checking paper orders manually, and marked completed pallets, reducing shipment errors.
- Supervisors and users have greater visibility into where product is in the staging and loading areas.
Challenges:
- Inventory Accuracy – Managing shipments through a manual order entry system slowed down operations, and caused shipment errors.
- Increased Volume – The business needed a system that could handle the increase in orders as well as automate operations to make the process seamless.
- Error Prone – Operations managed through paperwork lead to human error and lack of visibility into lot assignments. Picking process managed by paper was difficult, time consuming, and added the risk of papers being dropped or lost.
- Slow Operations – Operations were often held up due to manual data entry and lack of up to date information.
Solutions
- Installed Produce Pro Plus (WMS) for 30 users.
- Outbound operations were automated through the use of barcode printer, barcode scanners and Motorola mobile handheld computers.
- The Motorola mobile handheld computer allowed produce to move through operation quickly and to keep up with increased volume.
- Mobile scanning devices are now used for the receiving, movement, replenishment and repacking operations, eliminating the need to key in data.
- Barcodes were added to the pallet labels and case quantities on each pallet were tracked throughout their time in the warehouse.
- Selection and loading were automated through voice directed terminals from Vocollect and this voice directed system allows pickers to see an improvement in productivity.