New tricks for age-old problems

Experiencing rapid growth and strong customer demand within your first decade are among the ultimate business goals. Achieving both is a sign of success – the kind of metrics that founders and senior management teams dream of. Yet navigating this level of achievement brings its own challenges as scaling quickly can expose and exacerbate operational issues and put such success at risk.

This is the scenario that a newcomer to the dog food industry found itself in. The direct-to-consumer manufacturer had grown quickly to 700 employees across two sites producing subscription boxes for the UK and European market. At the same time, inefficient processes created unnecessary extra costs and delays. That was until a trusted MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) supplier offered a game-changing solution.

The manufacturer faced an array of inter-related operational hurdles, all of which combined to slow down production and generate additional expense. The biggest problems? Manual processes for ordering PPE that were long, complicated and time-consuming plus lack of stock visibility leading frequent stock-outs. The latter also created ordering issues, with over- and under-ordering of supplies commonplace.

These inefficiencies and delays understandably frustrated team members, who raised complaints about the amount of time spent unable to complete tasks while waiting for PPE. There were cost implications too, with increased overtime required to compensate for holdups.

To address these challenges, RS recommended installing RS ControlStock®, a secure, end-to-end digital solution designed to manage the kinds of fast-moving products handled in this type of facility.

For a start, RS ControlStock® offers streamlined, automatic ordering with just-in-time delivery. Team members, meanwhile, benefit from access to a digital point-of-use kiosk that enables them to search easily for parts. As well as improving stock management, RS ControlStock® introduces process optimisation that eliminates wasteful procedures and enhances control and traceability.

Use of RS ControlStock® has generated big results for this dog food business. The regular pre-sorted deliveries save time and support the environmental, social and governance or ESG goals that it has in place. These deliveries also ensure that PPE products are available when required. The company no longer experiences stock-outs, meaning production runs go ahead uninterrupted and team members aren’t waiting around for supplies.

“Now I’m no longer stressed about PPE. It’s a dream for me.” reports one facility assistant. “It’s very easy,” “The whole system is just easy. You scan a card, give out what’s needed and it’s sorted.”

By automating previously manual processes, RS ControlStock® has led to savings of more than £30,000 per annum and freed up more than 1,750 people hours. This is time that team members can now spend on value-adding activities. Crucially, team members now also have access to the right PPE at all times, improving compliance with relevant health and safety standards. To misquote the old proverb, turns out dog food manufacturers of any age can learn new tricks.

To speak to someone about RS ControlStock®, please complete the enquiry form.