Key Objective: Create a central dashboard which took in live data from five proprietary warehouse management systems, to display the status of a clients goods across the Culina network. Provide operational visibility across the network to the leadership team, whist providing local visibility to the warehouse management team.
Culina Logistics provides strict temperature controlled integrated supply chain services for food & drink products that have limited shelf-life. The services encompass temperature-controlled warehousing, distribution, and transport solutions. Culina guarantees precise temperature maintenance throughout product storage and transportation.
Issues: Since the release of the Customer Portal ‘Client Status’ Logistics Hub Dashboard in 2003, Culina had acquired several logistics companies specialising in chilled and ambient temperature controlled transport and warehousing. In the process of acquiring these businesses the network and operations had increased significantly. By 2011, this presented the operational challenge of being unable to view a holistic snapshot of the network, deliveries, stock profile, and outbound movements. Although all the warehouses in the network recorded the same KPI’s as the original Culina Logistics Hub, the acquisition process resulted in the business operating with five different proprietary management systems. To migrate to a single system would be cost prohibitive. Plus, as further acquisitions were likely to take place, any solution needed to factor in the possibility of additional warehouse management systems being added to the network.
Resolution: Building on the success of Customer Portal ‘Client Status’ Logistics Hub Dashboard developed for the original logistics hub, we scoped out the visibility required for each user group. Food manufacturers needed to see their product across the network, and get real-time status reports. Retailers needed to see the deliveries inbound to their distribution centres, and the Culina leadership team needed to be able to view all operations, filter by manufacturer, retailer and create a dynamic report on activity across the network. Whilst the location specific management team needed to view only those manufacturers deliveries, goods stored and dispatched, relevant to their facility. The project delivery plan was set out over a 12 month timescale, with key milestones, and highlighted who was responsible for what. The project was delivered on-time, on-budget, and in a format which could be handed over to the client’s IT team after a long ‘dual support’ period, to ensure the software was robust and bug-free.
Providing integrated visibility on ‘Client Status’ across the Culina network became the basis for the organisations extranet. It provided the ongoing integration platform to share operational information of any additional warehouse management systems, as and when, Culina made further acquisitions. It delivered the relevant information, to the relevant people, in a fast, intuitive format – and created a point of difference to further support sales. It help reduce waste as it highlighted visibility on any operational inefficiencies.