Australian Independent Supermarket: Enhancing operations with diagnostic insights and WMS selection

Key challenges

The client had ambitions to grow their store network but were heavily constrained by their existing warehouse capacity and manual operations.

They were challenged by:

• Manual processes contributing to lack of visibility and accuracy of inventory information, including at the store level and creating difficulty for stores in ordering replenishment products.
• Large amount of ullage due to systemic capability to move product in FEFO order.

Our approach

To ensure the best results for the client, TMX:

• Undertook multiple DC and store visits, including team member interviews and observation of process and site layout.
• Requested and analyzed site, inventory, and transactional data, to identify tactical opportunities for improvement in lay-out, slotting, process, systems, and labor planning.
• Captured detailed Warehouse Management System (WMS) necessities and upstream changes required to support.
• Ran a WMS RFP to validate the client's preferred vendor against requirements.

The results

TMX were able to deliver a number of significant outcomes for the client, including:

• Determining that the client's preferred option of utilizing the in-built WMS capability of their ERP would not meet their requirements prior to wasting time and money on implementing.
• Alternative WMS options investigated and priced to meet requirements and add value to the operation.
• Identified a WMS with native integration capability with an ERP solution.
• Cost/benefit justification of additional capability verus additional cost of a standalone WMS.