Founded in 1999 in Los Angeles, CA., Southwind Foods quickly grew as a leading importer, packager, and distributor of seafood, meat and poultry to grocery store chains and restaurants. As they started to open more cold storage warehouses they found a need for warehouse management and an ERP system that could keep up with their growing business. They turned to Macola for their customized ERP system, and to The Attivo Group to support them through this big transition of their business.
WMS and Cold Storage Warehouse
Southwind Foods needed to create an automated stocking and fulfillment system that included put-away logic, pallet management and pick selection, all without causing more work for their already busy workforce. They also need to know exactly where all their inventory is at all times, make sure that FIFO rotation was enforce. They also needed to keep critical quality management information, such as Country of Origin, in a system that’s updated in real time. Plus, with a large cold storage unit that was -10 degrees, they needed scanners and a WiFi system that could handle the frigid temperatures.
We worked closely with WiSys LLC to integrate their WMS with the Macola ERP system and create an enhanced put-away, pallet management and pick system tailored to their specific process flows. For the WiFi throughout the cold storage units, we brought in Emkat, Inc. They were able to make sure that scanners could easily connect to the necessary WiFi needed to run the system while in the warehouse. For the below freezing temperatures, we recommended Honeywell, which has one of the few scanners equipped to withstand the temperatures.
Food Industry Experts + ERP + WMS = Automated Systems
Completed in 2016, the ERP and WMS system has helped Southwind Foods tremendously. Sales growth has continued and the company has a solid infrastructure to enable their success and increase their profitability. The pallet management system, enhanced to support the unique requirements for put away and pick logic in a challenging environment, has proven to be durable and game-changing technology for the company.
“This custom-tailored system is now the backbone of our company’s operations. It is extremely efficient and accurate and we rely on it to supprot the high volume of product that we handle every day. It keeps us totally compliant with all of the regulatory and customer requirements that we need to deal with, and has helped us keep our costs as low as possible.”
– Don Sutherland, CFO, Southwind Foods
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Contact us to review your current needs for an ERP and WMS system, and we’ll help you create a plan that can help your business continue to grow!
