Prior to selecting a new solution Dari Farms used many manual processes including clipboards, paper and pencils. Add to that the harsh freezer environment and it no wonder their inventory accuracy was in the low to mid 80%.
Introduce a Voice Pick system integrated with a solid Warehouse Management System (WMS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution and the company is able to focus forward to the future. Like anything new the voice pick system met with initial resistance especially with the long term employees. Now they cannot imagine doing their jobs without the system. New employees do not have the overhead of system transition and pick the system up quickly.
Voice picking ensured through audio confirmation the location, product and quantity to process. The entire solution has numerous checks and balances. Seen initially as a hurdle and time consuming, the process increased accuracy and confidence in the system.
Dari Farms had a hard time trusting what their old inventory system. The only time they truly knew it was accurate was when they were out-of-stock.
With the new Voice Pick and Warehouse Management System (WMS) they are 99% accurate. They cycle count and it is rare to have a single item off by more than 1-2%.
Dari Farms wanted a vendor that they could trust and that would work with them long term as they grew. They wanted to keep moving forward and stay on the cutting edge of technology that would enable them to run their company efficiently and keep their costs down. They chose VAI as one of those vendors they wanted to partner with.
It is fun and easy to write about this type of solution. Today many thousands of companies are using manual processes to manage their operations. Why, because they work. Well, sort of. They operate, but at what efficiency level? They sometimes realize they have hit a glass ceiling. Sometimes that fact has been obscured from them.
With a tight economy there is great pressure to run lean and there is pressure to push a trimmed staff to do more with fewer resources. When what they really need is a set of fresh eyes to look at what they are trying to do and come up with suggestions for improvement. Many consultants can do this given enough chances. A great consultant should be able to do this on the first attempt. That is why they are in business, to improve your business.
I am not saying the transition will be painless. Look at the video from Dari Farms. They had resistance too. Now they cannot believe they did their operations any other way. That is a result of partnering with an industry expert that will take the time to develop they right solution for your challenges.
I cannot promise you anything, in fact no one can, but Dolvin Consulting will work with your team to determine your true business operation challenges and develop a solution that will grow with your company. Contact us today to see in what way we can help.
McClarin Plastics, Inc. is a recognized leader in the custom design and manufacture of Thermoformed and Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic products and components. For over 50 years McClarin Plastics has been helping companies locally, nationally, and internationally find creative solutions using plastics and reinforced plastics applications. VAI’s S2K centralized database with secured access allows the company’s information to flow in real-time fashion.
Secure, centralized database. Part of the key features that made S2K Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software a good fit for the challenges of McClarin included a secure centralized database that is shared with everyone in the company. This is one of the primary goals of any ERP solution. Collect data in a central repository where it can be managed, shared and utilized to drive efficiency across the enterprise.
The more people know what each other are doing, the better they communicate and the better the efficiency of operations. The left hand knows what the right hand is doing.
Lean manufacturing and growth. The aggressive move towards a lean manufacturing profile has enabled better customer service and has fostered growth. McClarin’s customer demands have necessitated the change to stay competitive. The Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) module is used to evaluate demand in all areas. Orders now flow through the system and all manufacturing steps more efficiently.
Change is a difficult thing to accept. Not initially considered to be user friendly, barcode scanning has helped eliminate manual entries have sped up processes. It is now and integral part of operations.
Flexible system. VAI has produced a flexible system and is quick to respond to their customer’s needs and has produced a system that grows with them. A good investment and robust package at a given price point. The software is flexible enough to operate as a tool for the company versus the company having to modify its processes to fit the software. McClarin enjoys the collaboration.
Capable software that is a great fit for this company’s challenges. It is what every manufacturer hopes for. Core strength to drive efficiencies, reduce costs and delivered in such a way that there is a reasonable Return on Investment (ROI).
I cannot promise you anything, but McClarin is a great example of what happens when a company takes the time to engage with someone that becomes a trusted advisor. Dolvin Consulting works with manufacturers, distributors and specialty retailers to help them find solutions that improve efficiencies, reduce costs and increase profits. Contact us today to see how we can help you.
A recent study found that tech-savvy people disclose sensitive information to strangers they meet online, even though they should know better and found that Hackers apparently can be just as careless as their victims.
This study focuses on the phenomenon of disclosing private information to online friends who appear to be sharing your interests. The sample consisted of 100 persons, half of them working in the IT security industry (chosen from a professional network), while the other half dwelt on 'the other side of the fence' - the hacker’s clique (selected from specialized forums for 'bad guys').
Two experimental profiles were created, using the same information (age, sex, interests), but different jobs - corresponding to those of the respondents. After being contacted, the participants were interviewed in order to determine what kind of information they would be willing to disclose to a person working in the same industry, but still unknown to them.
The results suggest that, no matter what side of the fence they are on, people will behave the same: as though the virtual environment creates a second life, entirely different from the real one - they are willing not only to accept unknown persons inside their group just based on a nice profile, but also to reveal sensitive information (about their company, themselves and other persons) after a short online conversation. This applies to both categories of respondents even though they are aware of the risks such information disclosure would pose in real life.
Well I guess you just cannot trust anyone anymore. Perhaps with all the social media forums available today we are trying to connect more in an impersonal world. We should be connected more, we should have a greater sense of community. What seems to be happening is that we are becoming more and more disconnected, like islands.
Was the appeal of the “Tests” were really people wanting to be connected? Offer what people seem to want and need and you can get just about anything you want. Kind of reminds me of some stereotypical sales people that care more for the bottom line than the consumer.
Have we learned anything (yet)? Well yes, if it is the fact that your private information, yours or someone you are responsible for, is a valuable commodity for the industry that deals with stolen identities and funds. Yes, that we can all be fooled. Yes, that we need to be more aware. Yes, that we need to recognize there is no perfect solution that will protect us from ourselves.
What can we do? First, think. Second, before you reply to an invitation or anything online or even in person, think. Third, hire experts to help you think, because it is a big bad world out there and we all need help.
Sometimes it is hard to think outside of the box when you are in the box. That is where Dolvin Consulting and Cyber Security Auditors & Administrators (CSA2) work best. We work with your team to analyze your risk quotient and build a working Written Information Security Program (WISP) plan that addresses the volatile nature of information security. Contact us today to see how we can help you sleep better at night.
I happened to notice this recent post in one of the many LinkedIn Groups that focus on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions. It is hard to say why it caught my eye. What catches anyone’s attention? It is one of those things that sit in the back of your head and make you wonder.
The issues manufacturers face are pretty common. We are not talking General Electric here. Most businesses are small-medium sized. Different people will draw the line at different revenue levels to decide what constitutes a small or medium size business. Manufacturers need to keep their costs down, drive efficiency in their operations, distribute their product, attract new customers and keep everyone happy. They also need to minimize errors, manufacture and ship their products on-time, reduce manual time consuming processes, schedule, plan and forecast their resources and improve quality, just to name a few of the many challenges they face day in and day out.
A company looking for a new solution? Are we not all looking for something more efficient that drives profit and revenue? Are they old problems, new problems, or has this company reached one of the glass ceilings on their growth path and cannot seem to get out of their own way? The problem with glass ceilings is that they are transparent to those involved and they just cannot see what is holding them back.
Is it the fact they are on a budget? Well, I am not new to this field and I certainly do not have the most experience, but I have never met any company that was not on a budget. Many ponder what is an appropriate percentage of revenue that should be invested/reinvested in technology. It seems that it is never enough, no matter what the figure is. Does it really matter how much is invested, if you truly believed that the Return on Investment (ROI) was achievable? Of course there are upfront costs and ongoing costs that figure into the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Many small businesses are in a Catch-22 situation where they are financially strapped and could grow if they had the capital, but they cannot get funding, because they have not grown. Only a few companies grow significantly in a tough economy, while many hold tight and the weak perish. I was advised that the best time to apply for credit was when you did not need it.
Suggestions? Then there was the onslaught of suggestions from dozens of people in the group that may have meant well. Here is my web site, call me, email me, we have a budget solution, we are great, we are leaders, blah, blah, blah, blah (oh, did I forget to mention “blah”).
Maybe it is the forum, maybe it was the desperate plea, and maybe it was just more-of-the-same. Did anyone bother to ask any questions before offering a solution? Oh, yes of course, there were a few questions, but mostly there was the tone of so many trying to improve their sales quota. How would anyone know what was appropriate without doing some sort of study?
It is like a soccer game with young kids. They are all running around the field going after the ball instead of playing their position contributing to the team and being ready when the ball comes their way.
The requesting person may have meant well and truly wanted to get some feedback and direction. And after all one of these eager beavers might just get a sale. I hope they are both happy.
The Internet provides a great source of information, right at our fingertips. Perhaps that is part of the problem. How do we know what is right, wrong, appropriate or not. It is “free”, but anyone that has been around a few years tends to know the value of “free”. Most times you get what you pay for and when it is free, well, it is free, and worth what?
I would be happy to talk to the owner after the frustration level reaches epidemic proportion, because there was not a good fit, the software did not work as expected, the users are fed up, the cost overruns exceeded their tight budget and now they are motivated to take the time learn what they do not know.
I will not promise anything except to ask questions. Hopefully they will be the ones that help us both determine if there is a good fit between your challenges and the available solutions. A solution that fits your budget and has a reasonable return on investment and powers the company with the resources they need to grow. We have a mutually vested future in your success.
We do not know who you are, so you need to contact us to see why Dolvin Consulting may be the right trusted advisor, the right choice for the future.
This is a well written article. It identifies an ongoing issue that all organizations, not just those in healthcare struggle with on a daily basis. How do we empower our employees, yet maintain control over social media to protect the private information for which we are responsible?
I support the premise of policies for employees as many do not take the time to think beyond the moment to consider the consequences of their actions. Many postings as the article points out are innocently placed. Most people do not realize that enterprising people can take these separate pieces of information and place them together. In the wrong hands that information is sold to the highest bidder.
The article points out: “There are people who have grown up having everything posted on Facebook, and having no privacy,” Drummond says. “They are posting more” with little thought to the potential impact.
The solution is not to single out any specific social media forum, but rather to invest in education for all workers. Many simply are ignorant of the consequences. At the organizational level, the education becomes part of a Written Information Security Program (WISP) plan.
Think of a WISP plan as a fire drill for a data breaches. It is not a static, shelf sitting, and dust collecting binder. A working WISP plan is reviewed annually or at any change in business or organizational process. A WISP plan provides the foundation for a secure environment. There is no one perfect solution. Any plan that incorporates humans has the potential to break down. In the event of a breach, there are well documented procedures that will mitigate damages and help create a defensible position for the regulators that are sure to be involved.
Dolvin Consulting works with industry experts Cyber Security Auditors and Administrators (CSA2) to help companies of all sizes manage the risk associated with private information. Those companies are typically concerned with the threat of lawsuits related to the loss of personal information as well as the loss of their customer base due to the degradation of their reputation.
We cannot promise you that you will never have any problems, but we will do our best to understand your challenges and help you create a working WISP plan that matches your risk quotient. Contact us today to see how we can help you manage your risk.