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5 Insightful Use Cases for Food & Beverage Companies – SOLOCHAIN WMS

solochain

5 Insightful Use Cases for Food & Beverage Companies – SOLOCHAIN WMS

The digitization of supply chains is well underway. SaaS solutions, such as the SOLOCHAIN WMS, have made it easier for Food & Beverage companies to reap the operational benefits of new technology solutions, rapidly obtain ROI, and stimulate growth.  

In this blog, we take a quick look at five scenarios that illustrate how the SOLOCHAIN WMS not only improves daily operations on the floor, but also provides management crucial information to help leaders make better decisions. Find out how SOLOCHAIN concretely enables more efficient and cost-effective activities in the warehouse and paves the way to better client experience, sustained growth, and higher margins.

Real Time Visibility on Inventory for an Agile eCommerce Grocery

Supply chain operators know the impacts of inventory inaccuracies on profitability. Short of accurate information to manage their stocks and stay ahead of the demand signal, companies are doomed to make poor use of their capacity, suffer from losses, and lose the ability to fulfill orders on time.

A grocer operates a multichannel operation from his distribution center. Employees must deal with replenishment orders for a dozen brick-and-mortar groceries, manage cross-dock transfers, and fulfill and ship customer orders made through the grocer’s eCommerce platform (D2C).

With real time updates that give precise information on every item’s location, and rates of inventory accuracy above 99%, SOLOCHAIN ensures that inventory is easily located and properly handled by employees.

Thanks to automated data exchanges between their ERP system and SOLOCHAIN, handheld scanners that are integrated with the WMS, and a 2D digitized map of their distribution center, the grocer’s employees can rely on accurate inventory data across their entire network and intelligent replenishment suggestions that anticipate on the demand signal.

Manage the Heat Efficiently in a Multi-Temp Facility

Businesses in the Food & Beverage industry have to deal with expiration dates, customer specific shelf-life requirements, and traditionally thin margins. Failure to manage fresh and frozen inventory properly can rapidly melt a grocer’s profits.

Take our grocer from the previous scenario: their distribution center has three different temp zones, one of which is a cold storage area. Employees at the dock affected to receiving and transfer tasks must therefore contend with items that must be handled efficiently and expediently to avoid losses.

SOLOCHAIN supports employees receiving frozen goods of the environmental conditions that must prevail in every section of a truck before they accept the delivery. Thanks to that information, they can rapidly make sure that all items meet quality standards, which enables them to come to quick and efficient decisions regarding their reception.

In the eventuality that items do not meet the standards, SOLOCHAIN also tells them what steps must be taken to refuse a shipment and inform the system of any and all changes to inventory. Thanks to the WMS, frozen goods are properly handled on the dock and congestions are avoided, preventing operational penalties and costly losses.

Making Candy Bars that Make Everyone Smile

Food processing requires that operators pay attention to a variety of details: FIFO across different temp zones, items consumed in a batch, customer shelf-life requirements, etc. To ensure its commercial success, a candy bar processing facility must be able to rely on the right data so that items are consumed at the right time and processed products are efficiently picked and shipped that meet the client’s standards.

SOLOCHAIN supports all activities in the processing facility, from the reception of ingredients to the production of processed goods to shipping the candy. At every step, adaptable mobile workflow and graphical tools are accessible to employees on intuitive, easy to read interfaces. Dashboards provide them the right information to ensure that items are handled properly and efficiently. SOLOCHAIN will, for example, communicate FIFO data to employees picking ingredients, guaranteeing that stocks are efficiently consumed and losses are avoided. It will also inform employees of a client’s shelf-life requirements, making sure that picked items meet their standards and are not returned, which avoids costly penalties.

Meanwhile, SOLOCHAIN affords management granular visibility on crucial information: who is performing what task, details regarding production progress, all inventory modifications in real time, and the status of orders fulfilment. Thanks to intuitive dashboards and detailed reporting capabilities, the SOLOCHAIN WMS enables faster order fulfillment, improved customer satisfaction, and, ultimately, higher margins.

Download WMS SOLOCHAIN Product Sheet Here

Efficient Recalls at the Ice Cream Factory

While all food manufacturers do their best to steer clear of having to perform recalls, they remain a part of the game. The real differentiator between competing companies is how well recalls are managed. The key, of course, is to achieve recalls that are precise and expedient. By doing so, operators avoid crippling financial penalties and maintain the high service levels that have allowed them to build strong customer confidence over time.

Thanks to its powerful traceability capabilities, SOLOCHAIN informs an ice cream maker of all the items that were consumed in a batch. Moreover, it allows the ice cream maker to rigorously trace each and every one of these items, from vendor to customer. And if that wasn’t enough, the WMS also contains a visual tool that makes it easy for employees on the floor to verify, understand, and comply with FDA regulations.

SOLOCHAIN therefore makes it easy for the ice cream maker to precisely identify which lot of cream was problematic, which batches of ice cream consumed that cream, and which must consequently be recalled. SOLOCHAIN let management know of the exact location of every unit from these batches, enabling them to make precise and efficient recalls. Thanks to SOLOCHAIN, no good ice cream goes wasted!

Brewing and Delivering Efficiently Thanks to Facilitated Compliance

A brewer delivers its beers across the United States and Canada. From state to state, province to province, the rules relevant to what information must appear on labels are different. Employees must therefore ensure that every shipped case of beer complies with regulations and requirements in the client’s location. When a brewing operation endeavours to deliver efficiently on such a large territory, clerical operations are no longer an option.

SOLOCHAIN is easily integrated with the brewer’s ERP system and labeling software & equipment to support labeling and shipping activities in the warehouse. The WMS acts as hub that automatically relays information to the brewer’s systems and employees regarding a client’s requirements and the laws prevalent in their state or province. The data is thus fed to the labeling software and available on easy-to-read interfaces, which expedites the work of employees fulfilling orders on the floor.

Thanks to significant efficiency gains and a drastically reduced error ratio in their shipments, the brewer achieves higher service levels, which attracts more clients and enables growth.

Generix Group North America provides a series of solutions within our Supply Chain Hub product suite to create efficiencies across an entire supply chain. Our solutions are in use around the world and our experience is second-to-none. We invite you to contact us to learn more.

shopping cart

Shopping Cart Abandonment: A Challenge for E-Commerce

Unfulfilled shopping carts are rampant in the retail industry and represent a significant source of additional revenues. Too many sales are left pending due to the lack of a smooth process and relevant options presented in real-time to the consumer. To “tighten the weave” of these abandoned sales, retailers need to manage unique and omnichannel baskets. Here is an analysis of best practices.

According to Baymard Institute, 55-75% of initiated shopping carts are abandoned. Despite these statistical findings, shopping cart abandonment is not fatal to retailers. Retailers like Cultura and FNAC have been demonstrating this for several years with a dynamic, 360° approach to their customers’ selections. Their strength? Ensure an overall view of the product selection and associate additional offers and advantages in real-time, regardless of the customer channel (at home, on the move, in-store).

Distributors: Aim for the Top!

“This ‘seamless’ connection between physical and digital channels is the first prerequisite for better basket completion” explains Philippe Petit, product marketing manager at Generix. “The second element relies on the retailer’s ability to analyze, in real-time, the nature and value of products, and to trigger personalized offers in correlation, which improve customer satisfaction and the retailer’s margin.”

According to a study by AB Tasty, a personalized e-commerce customer experience can increase the revenue generated by 15%.

To turn this promise into reality requires a software suite capable of transforming “static” shopping carts into dynamic allies for retailers. Omnichannel Sales ensures this mission by integrating ‘sales gas pedals’ that offer customers discounts, additional products, advantages or loyalty points depending on the products they select,” says Philippe Petit.

Golden Rules

1. A high-performance shopping cart is unique, omnichannel, and seamless

2. It is managed in a personalized, contextual, and real-time manner

3. It is a customer relationship and satisfaction tool

4. It improves sales, margin, and loyalty

The customer in search of omnichannel fluidity

Consumer journeys are made up of constant back and forth between several spaces (physical and digital), several terminals and several moments (information searches, price comparisons, analysis of comments, delivery conditions, etc.). In networks that combine in-store and online sales, too many baskets turn into a trap, due to a lack of management that is in line with this “mosaic” of expectations and behaviors.

There is also the case of franchised stores, which do not always have the same management systems as branches, resulting in a discontinuity in customer relations. In marketplaces, the rate of completion of baskets varies greatly depending on the costs and delivery conditions of each supplier.

The unified basket, a factor of recurrence, recognition, and valuing of customers

“The absence of a unified shopping cart, managed in real-time, penalizes the brands. Between two distributors that are apparently equivalent, customers always choose the one that offers them the most simplicity and recognition,” continues Philippe Petit. To reverse this trend, Generix Omnichannel Sales aggregates data into a single basket, thus freeing retailers from the problems of re-entering or merging files.

The solution integrates the entire spectrum of information including the basket (items, value), the customer journey (physical and digital), the transaction, promotions, loyalty, and history (recency, frequency, value). This makes consumers feel known, recognized and rewarded for their loyalty. “This is a strong element of differentiation, with a purchase act that is supported from start to finish, regardless of the channels and paths,” emphasizes Philippe Petit.

The statuses can be configured (pending, abandoned, or canceled). The customer, the sales advisor, and the after-sales service can find, in real-time, the shopping cart created via an e-commerce site, a wish list prepared on the phone, an order placed on a salesperson’s tablet.

The retailer can create and instantly distribute discount codes sent by SMS, encouraging consumers to go to the store or online. Omnichannel Sales even offers web services for VAT processing and legal collection of shopping carts generated via a salesperson’s tablet or an in-store kiosk.

According to a study by OpinionWay and iloveretail 48% of French shoppers use their store while in a store.

Clear and efficient returns management: An important decision factor for e-customers

Returns are the third most important decision factor for e-customers, after price and delivery terms. The clearer the brand is on the conditions of return (deadlines, logistics), the more it encourages customer trust and commit to purchasing.
“Generix uses the complete information of the registered baskets in the case of a partial or complete return of a purchase”, underlines Philippe Petit. Whether it was generated in-store and/or online, the single basket kept in Omnichannel Sales facilitates the management of returns, with the same level of information whatever the origin of the order (mobile, web, store, call center, etc.).

Generix hopes to eventually offer an analysis of the reasons for basket abandonment, whether it’s due to a product line’s pricing policy, an over cost between the product’s value and its delivery cost, or a lack of clarity on the return conditions. The result is a significant reduction in the number of unfulfilled shopping carts in consumer e-commerce.

As omnichannel-driven demands become the norm, with resulting customer satisfaction harder to achieve, supply chain professionals need to leverage advanced WMS technology to keep their operations nimble, efficient and scaling – especially in these volatile times. Given Generix Group’s completeness of vision and ability to execute, as recognized once again by the Gartner analyst community, their Solochain WMS is well-positioned to help companies needing a modern, flexible and agile solution that can easily adapt to their changing needs. We invite you to contact us to learn more.

This article originally appeared here. Republished with permission. 

software

Why Your Supply Chain Software Has to be User-Friendly

When it comes to supply chain software, companies are quickly learning that user experience or “UX” is everything. Put simply, it doesn’t matter how much a company invests in technology systems that provide all of the latest bells and whistles, if employees either don’t know how to use it – or, if they simply won’t use it – then those supply chain solutions will gather “virtual” dust in the corner as workers go back to their old ways of doing things.

Digital Natives’ Expectations

This is particularly true for the younger generations who are entering the workforce, and who know a good (or, bad) user interface when they see one. These digital natives grew up with mobile phones, devices, and applications in their hands, and expect the same experience with their business technology.

As the Baby Boomers continue to retire—and as they take their memories of using IBM Green Screens with them—Generations Y and Z are becoming the next supply chain managers and leaders. These new entrants to the field expect to have technology tools that make their jobs faster, easier, and more accurate.

Professional and End-User Friendly

“Making things as easy as possible for the end user is the best way to ensure successful adoption and use of any new communication tool,” InformationWeek states. “While organizations are understandably keen to arm workers with the best technology to boost productivity, end users’ needs aren’t the only priority. Throughout the evaluation process, it’s important to remember that the user interface (UI) is just as vital for IT professionals as it is for the end user when it comes to adoption.”

What is UX?

As the name implies, UX is all about creating an immersive experience for the user while keeping costs of development and implementation under control. In the context of software development, user experience looks like something focused purely on design and entertainment.

“UX has become a cornerstone of custom software development. Companies aiming to develop customer-facing software use this as a top competitive advantage, while those creating enterprise applications for internal use have learned to pay attention to this dimension to improve user acceptance of new software,” UX Planet explains. “This is no longer just a nice-to-have layer added at the end of the development cycle, but a significant aspect included right from the design phase.”

It’s important to note that where user interface (UI) is the collection of tangible elements that allow a user to interact with an application or website, UX is not defined by a specific set of visual objects, but rather what the user takes away from interacting with those visual objects that make up the experience. In this sense, UX is all about the subjective, internal feelings of the user. For example:

-How does the experience leave users feeling?
-Are users empowered or inhibited?
-Are users engaged or distracted?
-Are users encouraged or frustrated?

“In a world where we spend most of our workday interacting with technology,” bakertilly writes, “shouldn’t we at least feel empowered, engaged, and encouraged while we are doing it?”

Functional, Intuitive, and Easy to Use

When supply chain software has a good UX, the typical user can learn the program by simply using it, rather than reading a manual or taking lessons. For example, a program with intuitive icons and simple menu bar options may be easy for a new user to understand, TechTerms points out. “However, if a developer creates a program with non-standard icons and complex menu options, it will make the program less intuitive, likely resulting in a negative user experience.” Efficiency is maximized when a solution such as a WMS enables users to streamline their processes in the easiest way possible. Find out more about ease of use and results, click here.

A product that provides a positive user experience is:

-Functional: It does what it says it can do.
-Intuitive: The program was built with a friendly interface.
-Easy to use: It doesn’t make it too hard on the user.
-Reliable: It’s there when the user needs it.
-Enjoyable: The software is easy and fun to use.

When shopping around for supply chain solutions, such as WMS, look for user-friendly software that not only comprises functionalities that can benefit the user, but also makes it easy for users to access all its features. “The goal of efficient software development is to make the product reliable and compatible for end-users,” software development firm Rezaid states. “To deliver an excellent user experience, it is important to know your users well.”

As companies continue to invest in digital supply chain technologies to increasingly automate the supply chain, the ones that put their users first will surely get the best return on investment (ROI) and results from those applications. By seeking out software that features intuitive, easy-to-learn interfaces, companies can more readily integrate those new solutions into their busy operations without missing a beat. Those that ignore this advice may find themselves up against a formidable force when it comes to putting new innovation to work in their supply chains.

Generix Group North America provides a series of solutions within our Supply Chain Hub product suite to create efficiencies across an entire supply chain. Our solutions are in use around the world and our experience is second-to-none. We invite you to contact us to learn more.

This article originally appeared on GenerixGroup.com. Republished with permission.

transport

Transport Visibility in B2B: Challenges and Solutions

The Supply Chain is faced with many and varied challenges such as accelerating flows, trade globalization, cost reduction goals, urban mobility, and multimodality. In this context, transport serves as an essential method of gaining customer loyalty to the company’s image, in both B2B and B2C. To overcome these challenges, companies can no longer go without real-time visibility of their transport operations- but how can they meet this requirement? Reviewing the obstacles and solutions allows for greater end-to-end transport visibility.

 

Visibility: a new challenge for global transport

 

Increased awareness of the importance of B2B visibility

Favored by e-commerce in B2C, the heightened visibility expectations for transportation now extend to B2B as well. According to a study conducted by Generix Group in partnership with the Institute of Commerce1 in February 2020, 31% of French companies see real-time visibility as a key solution to keep the promise made to customers.

 

End-to-end visibility of the logistics chain enables companies to:

-Quickly take note of irregularities;

-Be more agile in addressing them;

-Anticipate problems to encourage decision-making.

Once alerted of a delay or obstacle early enough, professionals can reorganize accordingly and thus limit its impact on their business. This is why companies have heavily invested in appointment-booking tools in recent years.

 

A large disparity in equipment between countries

Regardless of the means of transportation used (road, sea, air), flow visibility is now widespread in the United States. Nearly all U.S. carriers have equipped themselves appropriately in less than two years, in part because they refuse to be subcontractors.

The situation is entirely different in Europe where subcontracting is advanced. The countries of the European Union have therefore invested differently in tracking solutions. If Portugal stands out as an example, information systems are far from being widely integrated in Europe, and vehicle equipment levels are inconsistent. According to a study on transport visibility conducted by Generix Group and the Institute of Commerce in June 20202only 23% of B2B companies offer traceability services in France.

What solutions ensure transport plan visibility?

 

Aside from WMS (Warehouse Management System) and TMS (Transport Management System), other systems ensuring end-to-end visibility can be used to collect transportation-related information.

 

Advantages of a collaborative platform

Collecting data from different players in the Supply Chain is essential to keeping the customer informed of their order status. If products are stored by the supplier, the distributor must be able to access available inventory levels. On the other hand, orders and delivery times given to customers must be communicated in real time to suppliers. This visibility of stock can be ensured through a collaborative platform.

With the collaborative portal, the supplier can also trace data concerning order preparation and shipment. Through a connection with the service provider and carrier’s logistics solution, the loader tracking platform can be supplied with delivery information. Regardless of the carriers used, the distributor can follow the progress of each order from a single platform. If a problem arises, they can also be alerted to resolve the issue and inform the client as needed.

Benefits of Yard Management

Increased volumes and delivery frequencies can lead to on-site traffic jams and difficulties loading on the docks. In addition to blocking the movement of goods, this hindrance to both human and material resources can have consequences throughout the entire logistics chain.

Moreover, within the global Supply Chain, there are two integral players whose field constraints are totally different: the manufacturer and the carrier. The flow of information from each of these must be synchronized so that transportation is guaranteed on time and production is never slowed or halted.

Yard Management Systems (YMS) optimize costs related to:

-Administrative management of carrier appointments – this involves having extensive working hours and optimal staff availability;

-Shipment organization – respect for the arrival and departure times of carriers, increased operator productivity on the docks, and better management of load processing…

Thanks to an event recording and time-stamping system, Yard Management solutions are now increasingly being used by companies. In particular, they measure the quality of service and the performance of various stakeholders:

-Punctuality, compliance with safety and cleanliness protocol for carriers;

-Emphasis of wait times on shipping site.

Shaken by new challenges, the logistics sector is now looking to improve its transport operations and to better manage the flow of goods, costs and order processing times. In this context, TMS, YMS and collaborative platforms serve as excellent catalysts for change. Want to learn more about these solutions to increase visibility of the logistics chain and transport operations.

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This article originally appeared on GenerixGroup.com. Republished with permission.

management solutions

3 New Supply Chain Management Solutions

How does one balance cost reduction with customer satisfaction, while continuing to offer competitive services? This is the difficult question the Supply Chain is up against. Driven by digital transformation, it’s becoming increasingly innovative, collaborative and intelligent. Which management solutions does the Supply Chain rely on to meet these new challenges? Find the answer in the infographic.

Supply Chain Management: competitive stakes

Supply Chain Management refers to the overall management of all procurement steps, from supplier to end-customer. At a time where consumers are increasingly demanding because they are exposed to a very wide variety of options, effective Supply Chain management is crucial to ensuring a company’s competitive edge.

The main problem of Supply Chain management then becomes to link and coordinate all the stakeholders of the chain. To do this, it has gradually acquired various tools, which are primarily digital: WMSTMS, EDI, etc.

New Supply Chain management solutions

There are 3 main Supply Chain management solutions:

Connected devices: they generate digital data that can be aggregated, analyzed and operated at all stages of the chain.

Smart Automation: according to an IBM survey, 80% of companies are expected to implement this mode of operation by 2021. Among other things, it helps to refine the accuracy of forecasts and improve execution speed.

Blockchain : an effective solution to ensure the complete traceability of products, it facilitates transparency and helps to combat fraud.

More than ever, Supply Chain management is now essential to maintaining and strengthening a company’s competitive edge. The solutions emerging today, blockchain connected devices, ensure both reactivity and traceability which have become real customer requirements. Want to know more?

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Contact Generix Group’s Supply Chain Experts here

This article originally appeared on GenerixGroup.com. Republished with permission.