Pedigree Wholesale Ltd improved efficiency and control across its business, following investment in a multi-depot Accord ERP system, including Web Ordering and Voice WMS.
Pedigree is a leading pet products wholesaler serving the independent sector. It operates from a network of five strategically located depots, servicing 2000+ accounts across England and Wales. Customers include pet shops, garden centres and specialist outlets.
Key to selecting BCP’s Accord were its powerful order taking features and fully integrated Voice WMS whose functionality outclassed specialist stand-alone warehouse offerings.
Accord was implemented in phases: first core modules, going live across all depots over the course of a weekend, then Voice WMS at Nottingham and, finally, Voice rollout to satellite depots.
Accord gives Pedigree the power and flexibility to operate the business effectively with the most modern IT facilities, providing easy access to key sales, product and buying information, as well as effective warehouse control. Key improvements include:
Multi-depot stock control and replenishment – Stock management had always been complex with customer orders often satisfied from more than one depot, trunking of products between depots, central and depot level buying, and the added complication that deliveries may be made to a depot from orders placed centrally and vice versa. Accord’s true multi-depot design has simplified this whole process, providing full visibility of stock and its movement so that Pedigree can fully control and monitor these activities across all depots.
Buying – Accord easily accommodates Pedigree’s requirement to buy both centrally and locally and has delivered considerable savings, allowing them to rationalise stocks, reduce out-of-stocks, reduce time spent on buying and negotiate better deals.
Order taking – Most sales are generated through Telesales and Accord’s Telesales system has provided greater control and improved effectiveness, allowing operators to work more efficiently and proactively and increase sales.
More recently, Web Ordering has proved enormously successful, giving customers more flexibility, increasing loyalty and reducing the costs associated with handling orders. More than 20% of Pedigree’s orders have moved online. Chris Laud, Pedigree Financial Director: “An increasing number of customers like to order in this way. The fact that taking orders in this way is also very efficient has allowed us to grow sales without having to take on additional staff.”
Key to the success of the whole order taking process is close integration and true transparency. “This is where the truly integrated nature of Accord comes into its own,” says Laud.
Operations
The conversion from manual, paper-based operations to real-time, wall-to-wall voice control is delivering major efficiency improvements. Pickers now work faster and more accurately from pick faces which are automatically kept replenished by the system. Picking rates have improved by up to 20% and accuracy is at 99.9%. “Order fulfilment ‘right first time, on time’ is always our aim and we’re virtually there now,” says Laud. “The whole warehouse just works so much more efficiently.”
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