Stenek Corporation’s Implementation of Accellos Warehouse Management System Speeds, Simplifies Warehousing and Distribution

JOC Staff |
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – August 28, 2012 – Accellos, a leading provider of supply chain execution software solutions, has issued a case study of Stenek Corporation, a user of its AccellosOne Warehouse Management System (WMS). The case study discusses how the Nova Scotia-based warehousing and distribution company has improved fill rates, reduced errors, improved velocity of order picking and reduced staff while handling increased volume using AccellosOne Warehouse Management System (WMS). Following is a synopsis of the case study.

Company
Nova Scotia-based Stenek Corporation services independent retailers, pharmacies and grocery outlets with racked non-food items from an inventory comprised some 15,000 SKUs in nearly 20 product categories. Until recently, operations were confined to the Maritime provinces and Newfoundland and Labrador, but the company is expanding to the rest of Canada and major markets throughout the United States.

Situation
The company’s home-grown business and warehouse management software dated to the mid-1990s and the company was burdened with continued maintenance and upgrade requirements. Management determined to find an open, well-supported solution that would streamline both business and warehouse operations and accommodate the company’s needs 20 years into the future.

Solution
The company settled on a seamless integration of SAP business management software and the AccellosOne Warehouse Management System (WMS), later adding web-based automated ordering capability. Field merchandisers also make rounds of the outlets on a scheduled basis, transmitting rack depletion levels to headquarters using wireless Intermec CN3 devices embedded with Amodat Mobile One software.

Product
AccellosOne Warehouse Management System (WMS) is an end-to-end suite of products aimed at increasing the productivity, efficiency and visibility of activities that take place in a company’s warehouse and distribution operations. Seamlessly integrated with leading ERP systems from publishers like Microsoft, SAP, Sage and Infor, AccellosOne Warehouse Management System (WMS) provides rapid ROI for companies with two to several hundred warehouse workers. AccellosOne Warehouse Management System (WMS) is available for deployment in the cloud or behind the customer’s firewall.

Results
Sales were impacted by fill rates as low as 80 percent, orders were picked individually, limiting productivity and sustaining high operating costs. Now, fill rates are consistent at 96-98 percent. Errors are minimal, with store credits at only .04 percent or near-100 percent replenishment accuracy. Consolidation processes allow pick and pack of up to 20 orders at a time; 25 percent fewer people handle some 25 percent more volume.

Benefits of the AccellosOne Warehouse implementation identified by Stenek include:
  • Lines per shift improved from 200-300 to 1,000
  • Consistent fill rates of 96-98%
  • 99.96% replenishment accuracy
  • 25% less staff; 25% more volume
  • Seamless Integration with SAP
  • Vendor error intercept at dock
  • Directed let-down/putaway/picking
  • Multiple order pick/pack
  • Elimination of shipping department
  • Elimination of third shift
  • Transportation cost optimization
“We wanted a solution that would integrate with a Class One ERP system and provide increased productivity, maximum-levels of inventory and delivery accuracy, clarity of data, and overall reductions in the cost of doing business, said Stenek Senior Manager and IT Specialist David Patriquin. “We’ve achieved all of these objectives and we are now well-positioned for unprecedented progress in our new corporate environment.”

“We are pleased with the results achieved by Stenek,” said Accellos Senior Vice President Bill Knapp. “Their success is a great example of how AccellosOne Warehouse Management System can help to simplify and improve performance in all areas of a warehouse operation.”

The full case study is available at http://www.accellos.com/casestudies/stenek-corporation.

About Accellos
Accellos is a global provider of software solutions specifically designed for the unique needs of logistics service providers and midsized businesses. Over 3,000 companies trust Accellos to be the technology backbone of their global supply chains. Accellos provides solutions for warehouse management systems (WMS), third party logistics (3PL), fleet management, transportation management systems (TMS), trading partner integration (EDI), automated barcode data collection, parcel shipping, transportation optimization and supply chain business intelligence. Accellos solutions are built on the AccellosOne platform, a modern technology platform featuring a user-friendly interface and simplified technical administration. For more information, email info@accellos.com or visit www.accellos.com.