Press Release Body: With pet food and supply sales soaring, Central Pet decided to meet its logistical challenges by installing an automated picking solution.
In the current issue of Food Logistics magazine, manufacturing journalist, Thomas R. Cutler, profiled how Central Pet, a national pet food distributor, was ready to automate its manual warehouse operations. The entire article can be read at http://www.foodlogistics.com/print/Food-Logistics/Gaining-Control-Of-The-Warehouse/1$2247.
"What we had been using was inefficient, pretty much pushing a cart down an aisle--no scanners, no pick-to-light, no pick-to-voice," says Jeff May, operations manager for Central Pet, which is a business unit of Walnut Creek, CA-based Central Garden and Pet Co.
Central Pet turned to TriFactor LLC, a materials handling systems integrator based in Jacksonville, FL, to develop an interface between the conveyor control system and Central Pet's WCS (warehouse control system) to get them to "talk" to one another.
Jerry Lovell, TriFactor's senior electrical project engineer, worked with the information technology department at Central Pet to make the modifications necessary to get the information in and out of the system.
"There was no conveyor system in place at Central Pet--they were picking with order sheets and pallets, taking the order by hand and bringing it all the way up to shipping," says Lovell. "We created a new system that allowed them be more efficient and more organized. It was a big change for Central Pet. The system allowed them to cut the amount of time people had to work."
Introducing a WCS with a WMS (warehouse management system) often results in an overlap of functionality between systems.
"The WCS is more focused on the activities within the warehouse relating to order fulfillment and shipping. Determining the best place to perform each distinct level of activity will avoid any conflict," says Jerry List, vice president of QC Software Inc., a warehouse controls provider in Cincinnati. "However, there are still areas of functional overlap. Each must be considered carefully for optimum system performance."
"The challenge at Central Pet was not symptomatic of other projects we have worked on because most already have a conveyor system in place," says Lovell. "We chose QC Software's WCS for Central Pet-- knew their WCS capabilities and how their software worked. It's very platform-independent, works well with different types of systems and is very cost efficient. TriFactor has used it for six or seven previous clients and I was confidant bringing them onboard for this project."
QC Software's List acknowledges that when it is the right technology application there are numerous immediate benefits.
QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
QC Software, Inc. www.qcsoftware.com Jerry List JerryList@qcsoftware.com (513) 469-1424
2012
