The challenge
America's Remanufacturing Company (ARC), a durable consumer goods remanufacturer in Augusta, Ga., became a major player in the industry when it landed a contract with a floor care client to manage the recovery and recycling of customer returns, along with items deemed as defective or obsolete by the manufacturer.
Going from receiving a truckload of goods a week to several truckloads a day, ARC's management quickly realized that their manual pen-and-paper inventory tracking methods could no longer cut it. Each item needed to be inspected and processed in a specific way based on its condition. ARC needed a best of breed warehouse management system to manage this complexity and provide real-time inventory visibility, both internally and to its customers.
The solution
SnapFulfil's flexibility was key during the ARC implementation process, with the project team configuring the system precisely to manage each step of the remanufacturing process workflow - from receiving the products and repair parts, to reconciling receipts, to transferring stock to the production line and processing kitted shipments.
Making the transition from manual to digital tracking easier, the SnapFulfil team set up an FTP server, which allowed ARC to upload stock information directly into Snapfulfil.
Hand-held RF devices capture all receipts and stock movements and deliver tasks and instructions to ARC's workforce in line with agreed process flows.
This ensures optimum efficiency and end to end visibility and control as goods move through the remanufacturing and recovery process.
The benefits
With SnapFulfil Cloud WMS, ARC has streamlined its processes and can now handle a larger workload more efficiently. The software directs product unloading, helping employees quickly sort through items and send them to the proper location. Once all items are put away, management has real-time data on inventory count.
Recently, ARC has also made this data available to the product owner, using a SnapFulfil-powered portal to show manufacturers the exact status of their goods. This level of transparency gives ARC a competitive edge when attracting new business.
Mark Branum, President of ARC, says, "SnapFulfil put us in the game quicker. Data management and visibility are key service offerings, and utilizing SnapFulfil's WMS solution provides the details our customers need to make sound business decisions."
