Inbound Logistics | January 2025

ITTOOLKIT [ IN PRACTICE ]

Automation Takes Blue Sky From Growing Pains to Growing Gains

Growing demand was an enviable problem for Blue Sky Distribution, a family-owned distributor of 3,500-plus grocery, tobacco, and other products to wholesale, big-box, and ecommerce customers across much of the western United States. To effectively onboard and serve new customers, including major grocery and convenience stores, it needed to automate several manual processes.

THE CUSTOMER Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Blue Sky Distribution is a family- owned-and-operated distributor of grocery and tobacco products serving New Mexico and the Western United States. THE PROVIDER With headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and o ces and partners around the world, Descartes Systems Group provides on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, security, and sustainability of logistics-

Sky was able to modernize these processes and boost order accuracy, as well as efciency in fulllment, shipping, and last- mile delivery operations. For example, to automate and streamline its ecommerce fulllment process, enabling it to more effectively respond to growing sales, Blue Sky implemented the Descartes OzLink™ Mobile Warehouse solution. This integrates with NetSuite’s ERP solution and increases fulllment efciency and accuracy, improves inventory control, and provides data that can guide forecasting, among other benets. For its wholesale business, in which Blue Sky makes deliveries with its own eet of vehicles, Poole and his team turned to Descartes Route Planner On Demand. This solution streamlines vehicle routing and captures proof-of-delivery information. Within its ecommerce business, Blue Sky implemented Descartes’ ShipRush solution, which provides real-time rate shopping, and can automate recurring work ows and tasks.

By implementing NetSuite’s ERP, and then integrating several cloud-based solutions from Descartes Systems Group, Blue Sky was able to meet this automation goal. The solutions implemented include Descartes’ mobile barcode-based picking and packing system, parcel shipping automation, and delivery management with electronic proof of delivery. “Blue Sky was in dire need of modernization,” recalls Robert Poole Jr., president and CEO of the company. “We were doing everything with paper and pen.” TOSSING AWAY THE PAPER Among other challenges, Blue Sky’s old enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution wasn’t keeping up with the company’s growth. And because few employees trusted the ancient scan guns, they handwrote bin labels—which can stretch to 20 or more characters. Delivery drivers were routed using paper and Google Maps. By leveraging Descartes’ solutions, Blue

intensive businesses. by: Karen Kroll

January 2025 • Inbound Logistics 199