Lakewood ERP Blog

DB Foods select Dynamics AX 2012

2011-12-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

Lakewood has been selected to implement Dynamics AX 2012 at leading supplier of fresh and frozen meat products DB Foods. The decision came following an extensive 12 month evaluation
process.

DB Foods has experienced significant growth in recent years and has always maintained a first class reputation for customer service and quality which originates from the principles laid down
when the business was formed in 1991. As the company has grown, so as its reputation and scope. Over the years DB Foods has developed its product range according to customer needs and now offers the most comprehensive product list in the industry.

Recent years has seen the Group identify processing as an essential component in its growth. Haviland Foods joined the DB Group in 2006. As a chicken processing unit its core activity was hand cutting niche market weight graded products such as Supremes. The synergies that resulted when combining the two companies became quickly apparent. Whilst DB Foods now handle all storage and distribution, Haviland’s production team are able to concentrate on improving quality and production. In keeping with the group’s ethos the fusion of companies has allowed for growth in new and innovative products such as Corn Fed, Free Range & Guinea Fowl.

To meet increased demand, the group has invested in a new ‘state of the art’ production site adjacent to its head office in Poole. In 2008 DB Foods purchased a local pork and lamb cutting plant. Now relocated to a brand new EU licensed facility in Ferndown, Dorset, this new capability allowed DB Foods to complete its range by offering daily, locally sourced cuts of pork and lamb. 2009 and beyond has seen the creation of ‘Satellite Depots’ across the UK, in order to service as efficiently as possible, DB Foods’ ever widening customer base.

In 2011 DB Foods launched Brookfield Farm reinforcing it's commitment to supporting and developing sustainable livestock initiatives within local agricultural communities.

The Witham Group go live with Dynamics AX

2011-11-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

The first Witham Group implementation went live on 1st November.

Witham Oil & Paint Soham, a retail and distribution site, successfully went live with Dynamics AX. This is the first of a three site roll out across the group.

The Witham Group is a privately owned UK based, family business, manufacturing lubricants and paints to ensure top quality performance on thousands of applications for thousands of different customers. Their customers range from agriculture, the marine industry, road and rail haulage and commercial vehicle workshops to race circuits, the building trade, factories,plant hire and pipework specialists. The company is extremely proud to have been awarded the Royal Warrant for supplying our products to HM The Queen and celebrated its 90th year of trading in 2011.

Food manufacturing – don’t let your profits waste away.

2010-04-12T01:42:00.000-07:00

A recent study commissioned by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has found the UK food and drink supply chain generates more than 11 million tonnes of food waste and five million tonnes of packaging waste each year. With an estimated cost to the UK economy of £5 billion the government is pushing for food retailers and manufacturers to reveal how much waste their businesses produce annually.

WRAP identified Food manufacturing as the greatest opportunity for reducing food waste outside the home. The study highlighted a biscuit factory that lost 20 tonnes of biscuits for every 100 tonne batch baked. Additionally a further 6 tonnes were lost in onward processes including 2.4 tonnes lost by overfilling packs with more than the standard weight. Although this is a one off example, other studies have found mass balance raw materials wastage as high as 16%.
With increasing pressure to reduce costs it seems evident that improving production yields would be a good place to start. Although this may sound an obvious solution, the process is not necessarily straight forward. Before any improvement programme can begin, the first step must be to not only understand how much waste you currently produce but also which product lines are the worst culprits. Businesses must collect accurate data which can be used as a baseline for measuring progress. This will allow you to identify key areas for improvement, an ‘attack list’ that can be used to monitor success and set KPI’s.

Historically, shrinkage factors used in production processes have remained unchallenged mainly because they have been rooted into existing budgets. In order for businesses to track true progress they must discard these budgeted values and benchmark actual figures. To achieve this you will need the correct toolsets in place. You must be able to measure and track current conditions and document improvements. You will need to accurately record the amount of materials issued to each stage of the production process and the ability to analyse yields and shrinkage through the production plant including any co-products, by- products or downgraded materials. Wastage in the warehouse should also be captured, the amount lost on the floor or classified un-useable due to outgrade, date codes or human error must all be accounted for. Waste is not just discarded materials. It includes the cost of wasted raw materials, rework, lost production time, waste treatment costs, wasted labour, loss of materials to atmosphere and to the drain, as well as the excessive use of energy and water.

Other areas highlighted by the study included improving forecasting through collaboration with customers, suppliers and partners; initiatives to recycle, recover or re-distribute food waste and changes in packaging specifications with a move towards re-useable packaging such as returnable and refillable containers.

To be really successful in reducing waste a shift in company culture from waste management to waste minimisation may be required. Waste minimisation refers to waste prevention rather than reacting to waste as it occurs. Waste minimisation often results in substantial savings through reduced purchasing costs and more efficient practices; It requires a business to incorporate the design, purchase, manufacture or use of products and materials which reduce the amount of waste generated. Waste minimisation actually reduces the amount of raw material used and therefore the amount of wasted resources discarded.

For more information on WRAP and to download the full report report visit www.wrap.org.uk/retail

ERP happens

2010-03-26T03:13:00.000-07:00

ERP happens at different times and for different reasons. However, what is always the same is that at some time every successful business reaches a point where a common business system becomes a talking point.
A time arrives where across many different areas of the business the same problems are being encountered. Business efficiency problems such as –

Lack of accurate and timely information where the information needed is just not available or not easily found
Duplication of tasks and the same information being held in many different places
Multiple processes and business practices that achieve the same result

And possibly problems that are not just inefficient but problems that start to impact on profitability, credibility and even the sustainability of a company.

High, unstructured costs with poor visibility and control
Unable to accurately match supply and demand
Inability to efficiently perform critical financial tasks such as month end processing, invoicing, payment and collection.
Ability to take and process order quickly, accurately and efficiently whilst presenting a professional image to customers.

Frequently the need for ERP isn’t based on straight forward tangible benefits. Often it’s implemented as there is a need for a solid IT platform, a platform that will provide accurate visibility and control over the existing business and be the base for future improvements and a higher level of growth.

Lakewood understands the potential benefits ERP brings to the food and beverage industries and what is needed in a complete ERP solution.
Strong integrated financials must provide the centralised foundation upon which all other business functions are built. Business functions such as Human Resource Management, Sales, Purchasing, Logistics and manufacturing must be provided alongside strong business reporting and intelligence tools that allow information to be collated as and when required.

Aside from the key business areas, any food industry solution must also provide a fine level of functionality; not just BOMs but recipes, yield, traceability, multiple packing selections, catch weight, shelf life and stock dispositions are examples of capability that must be present.

Some time ago Lakewood reviewed all the major ERP solutions available and undoubtedly Microsoft Dynamics AX stood out as the best positioned to serve our clients. When viewed in conjunction with Microsoft’s product stack and technology roadmap our customer’s will be well positioned to take advantage of new technologies and embrace new business opportunities to get the competitive edge.