Consumer packaging company Huhtamaki UK opted for a software-as-a-service WMS system from Snapfulfil, for its three southern UK warehouses. Each site went live with the systems imultaneously and the result was a cost saving of £80,000 in the first year. Further savings are expected over the next two years.
Once all three sites were live the company was able, for the first time, to view inventory across the business, and in transit. Huhtamaki required a WMS which could help it improve stock receipting from production to verify production runs and ensure rapid visibility and availability of inventory for dispatch. It also wanted radio frequency-driven processes to help ensure correct stock rotation.
The company reported a “significant increase” in productivity, and that key performance indicators such as on-time-in-full shot up to “their highest ever levels”. Product receiving, put-away and retrieval have all benefited and employee efficiency has significantly improved.
Huhtamaki is now looking to roll out the same system within other areas of the operation to deliver complete inventory control and visibility across the entire business.
Gary Owen, UK warehouse & distribution manager, Huhtamaki, carried out a post-implementation review once the system had been live for six months. This showed savings made as a result of reduced headcount and overtime; reduced error rates; stock items were no longer getting lost; stock obsolescence was removed; hardware repairs removed; paperwork and administration reduced.
