Dairy Crest and Maginus: Digital Distribution Solutions
Customer
Maginus supplies IT services to retail and wholesale distribution companies, specialising in delivering complex technology projects that help retailers and distributors compete in a highly competitive industry.
An award-winning British dairy company
Processes and sells high volumes of branded dairy products and ingredients
Maginus supplies IT services to retail and wholesale distribution companies
Highly competitive industry
Situation
The company was losing approximately 10,000 transport cages each year, as no robust tracking application was in place. This was significant cost to the business, through replacement and repair costs as well as being an inefficient use of resources.
Dairy Crest moves tens of thousands of crates each night to a range of customers and locations with the contents being of everyday high importance, such items include milk and butter. The project allowed Dairy Crest to not only track containers but to ensure there were enough at each location to meet demand. This helped in significantly reducing ‘loss’ by holding a digital inventory of what should be where and when.
A key reason why Dairy Crest opted to work with Arrk to design and deploy the digital tracking solution was the focus on the project’s objectives.
Requirement for a web-based integrated resource planning solution
A loss of approximately 10,000 transport cages each year
A need for container tracking and a digital inventory
Solution
Arrk worked with Maginus on the implementation of a hand-held Windows Mobile solution that allowed warehouse staff to put away any new stock as it arrived, pick new stock for orders and perform stock taking checks. These handheld units were essentially barcode scanners with effectively a smartphone interface so that the user could see what they needed and exactly where to locate that specific product.
With unpredictable and patchy wireless connection coverage in the warehouse, the scanners operated while offline, only synchronized when plugged into a docking station.
The core system functionality was part of Maginus’ desktop software which had been developed in-house. Maginus said that they chose to work with Arrk because of expertise in mobile development.
Implementation of a hand-held Windows Mobile solution
Offering barcode scanners that operate offline
Arrk was chosen because of expertise in mobile development
Outcomes
- Container tracking
- Delivery planning & collection
- Pallet/cage movement in and out of deport and lorries
- Route planning
- Management dashboard
With the help of Arrk, Maginus pride themselves on being a leading technology solution provider and now offer the warehouse hand-held app, delevoped by Arrk, as an ‘add-on’ to their main services. The app allowed Maginus workers to successfully manage and produce:
- Server-synchronised pick & put operations
- Stock level management
- Barcode label production & scanning
Server-synchronised pick/put operations, stock level management and barcode label production and scanning
Increased accuracy of data/reporting systems
Successful deployment of digital tracking solution
Reduction in profit wastage
