“We can build an order on the fly with Latitude,” Bragg explains. “We host it up to P21 and basically go around the floor picking up the goods with the customer, scanning them and getting an ERP system order number. By the time we get back to the desk with the goods, we just punch up the order number and it’s all there.”
According to Eric Allais, CEO of PathGuide, this capability is a must for the growing number of wholesalers that also sell direct to customer.
“You have to be able to handle that situation like a retail transaction extremely quickly and track all the inventory at the same time,” he says.,
Charging forward
Bragg believes Horsman can still draw improvements from the WMS in areas like slotting and velocity. He’s still considering adding some automated equipment—perhaps carousels or pick-to-light hardware—but says the urgency of doing so has been greatly reduced.
“I think if we hadn’t have been able to do what we’ve done with the basic software, we would have gone that route. But we’ve been able to realize incredible efficiency gains, just through the batch-picking processes.
Those efficiencies have been a lifeline for the company.
“We can get the product to the branches before they open, so there’s no problem in getting good turns in inventory, both here at the DC and at the branch level. Obviously, that’s a very good thing,” he says.
Furthermore, the software overhaul has allowed Horsman to meet its targets—and those forecasted for the future—without having to move. Since constructing a bigger facility would cost an estimated $9 million, this, Bragg adds, is also a very good thing.
“If we didn’t have the current system, we would not be able to survive here.”
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