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The facilities themselves range in size
from 300,000 to 1. 6 million square feet.
Many were using automated storage and
retrieval systems at the time of the go-live, some have multiple floors, some
include co-packing operations, and,
depending on the location, there can be
multiple languages in use. In all, there
are more than 2,000 named WMS users.
One of the first steps K-C took was to
switch from local servers to a central-
ized server, a move aimed at simplifying
programming and minimizing risk of
disruption. Previously, if something
went wrong, an entire facility could be
out of commission while technicians
tracked down the source of the problem
and made repairs. In addition, code
revisions had to be carried out facility by
facility. With the centralized approach,
that’s no longer the case. “There is now a
single set of code, with no unique codes
at any facilities,” says WMS Project
Manager Bob Polar. “When there is a
change, only one person approves it so
we have standardization.”
K-C and RedPrairie put together a
corporate oversight team, with repre-
sentatives from information technology
(IT), distribution operations, sourcing
and supply chain management, and
finance. They also created multifunction
“core” teams of about 10 people at each
site that included distribution staff,
hourly workers, and inventory control.
Once the first site was running satisfactorily, members of that DC’s team
went to the next implementation site to
talk about their experience and offer
advice. At the same time, team members
from the site that was scheduled to go
third came to observe and ask questions.
This process will continue for all 21 sites,
so that each team can learn from its
predecessors and pass on accumulated
knowledge to the next two down the line.
Every software implementation car-
ries with it the risk of an operational dis-
ruption. To prevent delays in order ful-
fillment, the company arranged to have
some of the work shifted to other DCs
when the first few sites went live. But K-
C was soon able to dispense with that
precaution, Polar says. As the team
gained experience, the need to shift vol-
ume was virtually eliminated.
A “COOKIE CUTTER” APPROACH
WITH FLEXIBILITY
A true conglomerate, Canada’s Loblaw
Companies Ltd. manufactures consumer products and operates conventional and discount grocery stores
under 22 banners, among other business lines. After a decade of store expansion that pushed up supply chain costs
and stretched Loblaw’s logistics network to the breaking point, the company in 2008 launched an initiative to
redesign its warehousing, distribution,
forecasting and replenishment, labor,
and inventory and order management
processes, supported by new software
and IT infrastructure.
As part of that program, Loblaw is
rolling out a new WMS from Manhattan
Associates at about two dozen regional
and national DCs across Canada, some
company-owned and some operated by
third parties. Currently, 13 are running
on the new WMS. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2012.
Loblaw has WMS implementation
down to a science—it’s now able to
complete a rollout in 12 hours or less,
including a preproduction dry run.
“Early on, we diverted a lot of shipments
to other DCs, but the teams have now
gotten so good at this that the last two
implementations had no impact at all
on operations or orders,” says David
Markwell, vice president, information
technology–business solutions delivery.
