Efficiency gains were a key driver for the company, with the warehousing and distribution operations spearheading the initiative.
UK warehouse and distribution manager Gary Owen outlined that the company wanted Tier 1 functionality but without the headaches typically associated with WMS implementations.
He also demanded that all three warehouses went live simultaneously, with no capex, no traditional finance model and a 12 month ROI.
The Snapfulfil system was chosen and since going live productivity within the warehouse environment has increased and KPIs have grown to their highest levels. Additionally, product receiving, put away and retrieval have benefited and warehouse operative efficiency has risen.
Huhtamaki now has the ability to view inventory across the business, as well as in transit, which it says has been made easier by the low IT resource requirements both in terms of hardware and personnel.
Owen carried out a review once the system had been live for six months which highlighted a reduction in headcount, that stock items were no longer “lost”, overtime was reduced, error rates were slashed, stock obsolescence was removed, hardware repairs were abolished, and paperwork and administration were virtually eliminated.
The company now plans to employ the Snapfulfil system within other areas of the operation to deliver complete inventory control and visibility across the entire business.
