We just released this great case study about successful operations at Colorbok using Accellos and vSync EDI, shipping and warehouse solutions for Microsoft Dynamics. We also took the opportunity to tag on a video case study that was done back when Colorbok was using Microsoft Dynamics GP version 8.0. Enjoy
Accellos Selected for Inclusion in 2010 Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100
Accellos EDI, shipping and warehouse solutions help companies attain supply chain excellence during economonic recovery.
Accellos has been selected for inclusion in the 2010 Supply & Demand Chain Executive 100, a compilation of top supply chain technology providers published annually by Supply & Demand Chain Executive Magazine. Accellos’ inclusion in the 2010 issue of the list, “Supply Chain: Back to Basics and Beyond – In Search of the Roots of Supply Chain Excellence,” recognizes Accellos as a leading provider of software and services that help companies in the supply chain space attain excellence during the ongoing economic recovery. Read the full article
Retailers are focused on balancing tight inventory management and high levels of customer service. They want to avoid stock outs so as not to lose sales revenue while also avoiding holding too much inventory that is later heavily discounted to move the excess inventory. Wal-Mart, who is always searching for opportunities to gain efficiencies in their supply chain, recently announced that US vendors shipping to distribution centers must deliver within a four day window leading up to the must-arrive-by-date (MABD).
Multi-channel merchants like K-Mart / Sears, Target, Costco, Kohls, and several others, are ramping up their online efforts. Vendors are required to implement EDI to exchange business documents that facilitate cross-channel orders. Warehouse management and outbound shipping systems have to be tuned to ship to multiple touch points for a single customer account, including drop shipping direct to the consumers address. The recession forced merchants to focus on effective inventory management which manifested tighter demand sensing throughout the supply chain and information exchange across supply chain partners. Merchants and vendors inventory on-hand and demand numbers are shared through the exchange of EDI documents and business portals.
Breaking News: Check out the details at MSDynamicsWorld.com or vSync. This move marks a shift in viewing EDI as not just a point solution but an integrated component of dynamic, agile, supply chain management. Stay tuned for more details but overall, an innovative and strategic approach for mid-market companies. 3PLs and Transportation companies will benefit soon too…
Many factors come into play when your business partner requests you become EDI capable. EDI can provide a clear insight into a company’s supply chain operations providing them with better accuracy in ordering and receiving your goods.
One of the many challenges that your business partner faces is having a large number (sometimes hundreds) of vendors communicating business transactions with them. On average a big box retailer receives hundreds of transactions a day. Can you imagine if all those transactions were done via mail, fax or email? Your customer would never be able to efficiently run their supply chain operations, and the manual processing required would cost them millions in lost opportunities, waste and revenue. This would also create opportunity loss and negatively impact cash flow for your business. By utilizing EDI your invoices are sent electronically and imported into your partner’s financial system in minutes verses days or weeks, speeding up the payment process and helping you get paid faster.
Wal-Mart appears to be in the giving spirit this holiday season when it comes to their suppliers. Imagine getting your invoices paid in 10-15 days versus the typical 60-90 days – now that’s a great stocking stuffer!
Wal-Mart unleashed it’s new Supplier Alliance Program on November 2nd. The program is targeted to a select group of 1,000 Wal-Mart suppliers. Using what’s known as Reverse Factoring, suppliers can sell their invoices to one of Wal-Mart’s banking partners to get paid within 15 days that the order is received by Wal-Mart.
Here’s quick formula you can use to benchmark your company – or your client’s – order management processes.
Scorecards do matter – and they are in use at a variety of companies to evaluate and compare suppliers. This is why suppliers should continuously benchmark and seek to improve their internal operations. We often encounter suppliers who were unaware that they were being scored by their customers until they learned that their scores were not favorable. Know your scorecard ranking at all times, and make sure you have the systems in place to monitor your supply chain operations. A quick way to start is to calculate your SOI (Sales Order Index). SOI measures five areas that contribute to the perfect order:
