Implementation of supply chain and voice-based warehouse systems brings wholesale business into the 21st century
The Health Store has modernised its business using Accord enterprise resource planning (ERP) and warehouse management system (WMS) software from specialist provider, Business Computer Projects (BCP).
The UK wholesaler of natural and organic products to the independent health food trade, took on a 60-user system encompassing the complete Accord software suite from purchasing through sales order processing to financials, manufacturing and voice-based WMS.
Modernising business processes
“It was the most seamless implementation of an ERP system I have ever seen,” stated Tim Ryan, Health Store managing director. “Accord has really transformed our business, bringing us into the 21st century.”
Key benefits, according to Ryan, include data accuracy, visibility, scheduling and efficiency. Accord has helped improve accuracy throughout the business from goods receiving, to stock and picking, where accuracy rates are now way above 99%. Ryan added: “Those errors which do occur are usually simple human ones which are often unavoidable.”
Its retail customers have commented on how much more accurate orders are since the implementation of voice. And claims have dropped by over 60%, while levels of trust have improved.
Updated reporting capabilities
Visibility of data within the business is now much better and Accord has transformed reporting, “giving us fantastic ability to slice and dice data to show us exactly what we need to know about the business,” according to Ryan. One of the biggest efficiency gains has been in picking, where “we are now picking more orders with fewer pickers than we were before we implemented Accord,” he explained.
Ryan concluded: “We are delighted with the results and absolutely convinced we made the right decision in choosing Accord. The investment was substantial, but it paid for itself within just nine months. It’s improving efficiency throughout the business, both in the offices and in the warehouse, making our business – and those of our customers – much more competitive. Plus, it’s scalable, so we’re already seeing other opportunities to use it to further improve our business.”
