system? Asking all solution providers to show how their system would handle common operations gave Morton a level playing eld to analyze and compare the various solutions. “Overall, we found that VAI t the needs of the organization,” Rivait says. In addition, Morton could continue to grow and work together with VAI. VAI’s solutions leverage business intelligence, analytics, mobility, and cloud technology to help companies make informed business decisions and build a competitive edge. ASSESSING THE NEEDS In working with clients, VAI starts with a requirements analysis, says Peter Zimmerman, North American software sales manager. Once VAI team members understand what a client is looking for, they can recommend best practices drawn from the knowledge they’ve gained through their work with numerous customers. Every implementation process also includes plans for data conversion, pilot testing, and training, among other steps. These actions help ensure that the solution meets the company’s needs, while also strengthening buy-in among both management and end users.
A critical component in the success of the partnership between the two companies was Morton’s decision to dedicate several staff members to the ERP team. These employees were responsible for learning about the software and its con guration, as well as for training, testing, and retesting to ensure that everything was working as it should. Also important was Morton’s decision to avoid testing in “silos,” or individual functions, Rivait says. Instead, the teams conducted “cradle-to-grave tests” to check that information owed accurately from one function to the next. A primary bene t of an ERP solution is its ability to link together different functions so information ows seamlessly, Rivait notes. To fully leverage the value of an ERP implementation, testing needs to ensure information moves accurately and completely between functions. INFORMATION LEADS TO A BUMP IN SALES AND PROFITABILITY Typically, companies that implement the S2K solution can expect a bump in sales and pro tability because they easily can see what customers are buying. They can also see pro t margins by product, which leads to more informed inventory management decisions.
“We broke things down to a very granular level to come up with a shopping list of the different functionalities we needed,” Rivait says. In total, the team identi ed more than 1,000 process components, which they ranked according to importance to the organization. Then they reviewed a range of ERP solutions. In their evaluations, the team focused on requirements unique to the wholesale food distribution space, such as the ability to provide lot traceability and handle expiration dates. Through this research, the pool of potential partners was winnowed down to four or ve solutions. Rivait and other team members asked these vendors to demonstrate how the system would function daily. For instance, how would an employee add a new vendor to the CASEBOOK STUDY Upping the Food Chain THE CHALLENGES: An aging ERP system meant many processes within Morton Food Service remained manual, time- consuming, and at risk of errors. It also kept Morton from oering customers mobile and other capabilities. THE SOLUTION: Partner with VAI to implement its S2K Solution, as well as other solutions that work with S2K, like mobile order entry. THE RESULTS: Streamlined, automated picking and fulfillment operations and transportation routing, as well as greater sales growth. NEXT STEPS: Implement VAI’s ecommerce solution and possibly its Smart Center solution, which includes customer relationship management, customized dashboards, and other features.
Some of Canada’s most well-known restaurants, such as Big Fish Steak and Lounge, receive their food and drink supply from Morton Wholesale. Morton o¤ers a line of more than 7,000 domestic and international products and delivers goods to 1,000 customers annually.
188 Inbound Logistics • July 2023
Powered by FlippingBook