ITTOOLKIT [ IN PRACTICE ]
New ERP Smooths the Way for Skin Care Company
After an exhaustive review of its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, E.T. Browne Drug Company, the maker of Palmer’s Cocoa Butter, understood it needed to upgrade. By recommitting to SYSPRO, its long-time ERP provider, E.T. Browne was able to leverage a scalable solution that has enabled the venerable skin care company to reduce inventory and grow profits.
THE CUSTOMER E.T. Browne Drug Company, headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, is a long-standing proprietor of skin and hair care products. Founded in 1840, it is best known for its Palmer’s® brand, which includes the best-selling Palmer’s Cocoa Butter. THE PROVIDER SYSPRO is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software provider with a global footprint. Founded in 1978, it specializes in providing scalable solutions within key manufacturing and distribution industries. by: June Allan Corrigan
Committed to delivering high-quality, high-performing products, E.T. Browne chooses fair trade and organically certified ingredients whenever possible. This includes the use of natural, raw ingredients, some of which have a shelf life. The company relies on essential functionalities such as expiry dating, lot control, and good habits such as effectively picking the oldest product and inventory first so as to cycle through it in the correct order. However, Goes admits it’s not always easy in their small production facility, where items sometimes get stocked in the back and workers have to move numerous pallets to gain access. “We try to balance the efficiency of getting products picked versus making sure we cycle through all the inventory in a timely manner,” he says. E.T. Browne’s primary peak of business occurs during the dry, winter months. When cold weather descends in the United States around November, orders from major retail partners increase as they build inventory to prepare for brutal cold snaps.
“We focused on all the pain points we had identified during the independent ERP evaluation and worked to see how we could improve and correct them within SYSPRO,” says Pieter Goes, vice president of information technology and business intelligence at E.T. Browne. Helping manufacturers and distributors gain critical insights across their entire organization is one of SYSPRO’s strengths. “SYSPRO is a configurable software,” says Dawn Gorey, the software company’s director of consulting services. “There are a lot of different options and ways to set up those options. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution because you can customize it.”
SMOOTH LIKE BUTTER With a nearly 200-year history,
E.T. Browne Drug Company is one of America’s first skin care companies. Renowned for its Palmer’s brand, which includes the best-selling Palmer’s Cocoa Butter, the company’s products are sold in 100 countries and recommended by families from one generation to the next.
October 2024 • Inbound Logistics 37
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