The
Challenge
KONG has grown as a company that encompasses worldwide distribution centers, and as such has outgrown its previous system consisting of QuickBooks accounting software, Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and paper-based processes. While KONG’s head operations in Colorado would normally manage the inventory levels at all their remote locations, a lack of visibility into the company’s global distribution centers made it difficult to know the exact status of each remote location. Distribution centers, for example, would end up carrying more stock than necessary because there was little visibility into real-time inventory levels; KONG’s head office would offset this lack of data by overstocking to eradicate any fears of not being able to fulfill some orders.
Additionally, warehouse and
The task of receiving stock also exhibited inefficiencies as distribution centers received container-loads of goods; an entire container needed to be received and put-away before picks could be done, and this process resulted in the delay of order shipments.
What’s more, KONG’s current internal processes made onboarding of new staff time-consuming and complicated, often taking up to two weeks of training in order for staff to perform inventory counts.
Put succinctly, while KONG’s current software and processes worked well at one time, they are unable to keep pace with the growth of the company.
Solution
KONG integrated Insight Works’
To complement the integration, Insight Works procured Datalogic Falcon X3+ handheld mobile computers, providing KONG with a tailored solution for demanding environments requiring real-time transaction visibility. These mobile computers ran Insight Works’ Warehouse Insight and Advanced Inventory Count modules helping connect NAV to KONG’s warehouse floor for inventory counts, picks, put-aways and more.
Warehouse Insight brings mobile device integration to a warehouse setting, while Advanced Inventory Count simplifies inventory and cycle counts with comprehensive data entry, reconciliation, posting and analysis tools.
The new ERP solution was initially rolled out at KONG’s Australian distribution center located in Dandernong South, Victoria. The test phase proved successful and plans are underway to roll out the solution globally to KONG’s entire operation network. Stuart Robertson, KONG’s Warehouse Manager in Australia, was tasked with testing and using Microsoft Dynamics NAV within a live environment.
Results
Primary Benefits: Overall Time Savings When Counting Inventory
Counting 900 bins using KONG’s previous system required 144 person-hours (18 work days); using the add-ons from Insight Works, the same number of bins were counted in 12 person-hours (1.5 work days), saving 132 -person hours and reducing count time by over 90-percent.
Because cycle-counts could be performed quickly, KONG was now able to institute weekly cycle counts resulting in maintaining accurate inventory levels.
The Insight Works solution enabled KONG to increase inventory management efficiencies. Significant labor cost-savings were realized, staff time was re-allocated to more productive tasks, customer satisfaction increased and capital resources were used more efficiently.
Secondary Benefits at a Glance
Insight Works’ add-ons delivered a myriad of general benefits to the KONG operations, including:
- Ability to efficiently perform weekly cycle counts.
- Ability for multiple people to simultaneously perform inventory.
- Data recorded in real-time.
- Significantly reduced counting errors using handheld mobile computers.
- Count error details corrected quickly with real-time dashboard reporting.
- Reduction of “orders shipped” delays.
- Reduction of inventory levels due to head office visibility into real-time metrics.
- More accurate and timely shipments.
- Quick staff onboarding via the user-friendliness of the Insight Works’ add-ons.
Learn more about switching to barcode scanning in the warehouse, download the white paper