With a variety of operations on site including a call center and marine shop, Mack’s Prairie Wings looked to replace their homegrown solution with a cloud-based solution that would enable scalability.
Aim for High Caliber Functionality
From previous experience, Mack’s Prairie Wings’ leadership knew there would be efficiencies gained by replacing their homegrown solution with a scalable cloud-based ERP and eliminating paper-picking processes. Looking to utilize one application across all facets of their business, Mack’s Prairie Wings partnered with RF-SMART and KPI Solutions to redesign their entire warehouse from receiving to shipping.
Using RF-SMART as the go-between from their retail stores and warehouse, Mack’s Prairie Wings relies on picking, receiving, and dynamic stock counts to keep their inventory accurate and operations efficient. Replenishment from warehouse to store automatically creates transfer orders and receives them in NetSuite, and then prints a label.
In addition, RF-SMART has helped Mack’s Prairie Wings solve gaps in NetSuite, including the ability to create label customizations. Needing a specific label to go on merchandise in the store, RF-SMART was able to create the functionality to print a label with the item number, description, and price – something Mack’s Prairie Wings was unable to do in NetSuite. “We’ve been using RF-SMART for over a year now and we cannot imagine going back,” said Debbie Pinckard, Chief Financial Officer. This functionality also allows Mack’s Prairie Wings to automatically print labels using on-demand label printing for purchase order receiving, saving them time and increasing efficiency.
Pick Planner functionality has also boosted Mack’s Prairie Wings efficiency by allowing orders to be shipped much faster. With over 60,000 SKUs and a very diverse product mix (from 150 lb. deer stands to small jewelry), Pick Planner allows Mack’s Prairie Wings to segment their warehouse into zones and zone pick by task lines.
Pick Planner accommodates the fast moving items and gets the high volume items picked, packed, and shipped more quickly. “RF-SMART’s Pick Planner has enabled significant labor savings, eliminating the need for a night shift without compromising on service quality or delivery," said Debbie.
Pick Planner has also enabled easier compliance. Mack’s Prairie Wings ships items that require heavy regulation and special picking, packing and labeling attention. By assigning items with compliance regulations to certain pickers or processes, Mack’s Prairie Wings is confident that compliance is being met. What’s more, they have full visibility into the entire path regulated items take in their warehouse.
Shipping Success
Mack’s Prairie Wings’ previous shipping solution was unable to scale properly with their growing order volume. Switching to RF-SMART Shipping has streamlined their order fulfillment, leading to a quicker and error-free shipping process for their ecommerce shipments. “We didn’t think it could get much faster, but now it’s just one scan and you’re done,” said Debbie. RF-SMART Shipping is built to make shipping fast, easy, and cost-effective, with a rules engine that Debbie’s team has taken advantage of to find the most economical shipping options.
Automated Picking
Similar to their shipping experience, Debbie’s team needed an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) to navigate their high order volume, leading them to a partnership with KPI Solutions and an investment in their AutoStore solution. The KPI Solutions engineering team designed and integrated the high-throughput dense storage ASRS to efficiently manage Mack’s growing order volume, reduce labor reliance, and expand capacity as needed in the future. RF-SMART's Automation Module connected the
KPI Opto WES and KPI AutoStore module with NetSuite, creating real-time inventory data exchanges to and from their system of record. This additional automation functionality has enabled efficient auto-replenishment from their warehouse to the attached store, which has been crucial in allowing faster replenishment, maintaining accurate stock levels, and elevating customer satisfaction. This improvement also allowed their team to keep all inventory secure while maximizing their use of available space, helping them avoid a costly warehouse expansion.
RF-SMART's Automation Module efficiency also allowed Mack’s Prairie Wings to optimize their workforce, notably eliminating the need for night shifts, all while maintaining high productivity levels. The incorporation of RF-SMART into Mack’s Prairie Wings’ operational workflow marks a significant leap forward in logistical and overall supply chain management.
Benefits Take Flight
Previously, the warehouse team would have hundreds of orders to troubleshoot and correct each day. Using RF-SMART for picking and packing, they are down to just a few. “One initially hesitant employee helped achieve what seemed impossible - completing almost 100 orders in 15 minutes, a task that used to span several hours; now they love using it,” said Debbie.
Cycle counts are also vastly different. In the past, Mack’s Prairie Wings either completed manual cycle counts or outsourced them, both of which were costly. Using RF-SMART for cycle counts and inventories, the Mack's team has been able to reduce the time for complete wall-to-wall physical inventories by two days. They are also doing dynamic stock counts daily. This eliminates the need to take large variance hits during the annual physical inventory. Because RF-SMART instantly updates NetSuite, customer service reps can communicate precise order status to their customers, leaving happy customers.
Gauging Success
With RF-SMART, Mack’s Prairie Wings is a happy customer themselves. From implementation to training to support, RF-SMART has proven to be an easy solution to use. “We have seen a quick return on our investment in RF-SMART. Our employees find RF-SMART extremely easy to use, and we can’t imagine operating on any other software,” said Debbie.
For more information on KPI's automation solutions, visit kpisolutions.com & autostoresystem.com