Manufacturer increases distribution productivity, gains inventory control
Eden Prairie, MN — July 21, 2004 — J&J Snack Foods Corp. said it has improved distribution productivity and automated critical inventory control processes following the successful go-live of HighJump Software's Supply Chain Advantage system.
J&J Snack Foods Corp., a manufacturer and distributor of snack foods and beverages, said it required a system to increase the speed and effectiveness of its distribution operations, and to manage the complex inventory control, allocation and traceability requirements faced by leading food manufacturers.
The company implemented the Supply Chain Advantage suite in order to meet these goals in its Pennsauken and Bellmawr, N.J.-based facilities, which carry out manufacturing, fulfillment and distribution for the eastern half of the United States.
HighJump said its solution enables J&J Snack Foods to integrate the flow of goods from production to truck loading, thus improving efficiency through system-directed operator activities and increased automation of key warehouse and distribution processes such as receiving and put-away.
At the same time, Supply Chain Advantage allows J&J Snack Foods to manage industry-specific inventory control requirements in real time, including detailed lot and batch tracking, expiration date management, and QA hold and release. Intelligent inventory allocation rules allow J&J Snack Foods to allocate products to different customers and channels based on specific inventory requirements.
J&J Snack Foods can also use the HighJump system to kit multiple products into combined, ready-to-sell units and create advance-shipping notices. Finally, the system's flexibility can incorporate retailers' future radio frequency identification (RFID) requirements as needed.
Since implementing Supply Chain Advantage, J&J Snack Foods said it has seen improvements in productivity, as well as inventory and loading accuracy. The solution enables J&J Snack Foods to automate and improve processes around product tracking with functionality that tracks products by lot/batch as they move from production to customer delivery.
"Over the past year we've increased the productivity of our operations significantly," said Robert Long, vice president, Distribution of J&J Snack Foods. "In the food industry, customers require real-time information and just-in-time shipments, which puts a lot of pressure on the supply chain. With the benefits of HighJump's system, we are able to meet our customers' expectations and realize bottom-line savings, even in a challenging environment."
