The Challenge

Optimize Product Management For An International Beverage Company

This fast-growing beverage manufacturer was faced with many challenges as they grew to serve new customers in multiple countries, while trying to support an expanding product base. To meet the growing demand in new markets, the company added new suppliers, bottlers, warehouse space, distributors and sales partners. As a result, the original methods used to manage the product's lifecycle could not handle the many different participants and processes now involved. The end result: A fragmented and inefficient means of managing the entire product lifecycle which prevented optimal sales, distribution and manufacturing processes, negatively impacting profitability and the timely availability of perishable products in new markets. In addition, accurately recording and accounting for actual costs was a significant challenge since there was no efficient integration between raw materials and finished goods information.

The Solution

Superior Enterprise Solutions > SuperviSES® Product Management Solution

Superior Technology Solutions enabled this client to take full control of their product's lifecycle, from product planning through manufacturing and distribution, by implementing the SuperviSES® Product Management Solution. SuperviSES® is an innovative, web-based solution which allowed the beverage company to more expertly manage its own processes, while taking full control of interactions with multiple suppliers, bottlers, warehouse and distribution partners.

SuperviSES® enables the full integration of the product lifecycle so that all planned and actual events for the product can be leveraged by all key business processes. As a result, our client was able to reduce costs, introduce products to the market faster, while increasing revenue opportunities at a maximum rate of profit.

SuperviSES® enabled this client to see exactly how much product is available in what location at any given time, enabling optimal inventory management and eliminating product waste ― a critical challenge for any manufacturer or distributor of perishable products. SuperviSES® product aging capabilities significantly enhanced the product planning process where product replenishment was executed in a timely manner while maintaining a fresh level of inventory.

Knowing the precise location of all inventory and the exact age of products located in multiple warehouses around the country enabled improved control over where to ship products from and where stocking levels needed to be adjusted. Equally important, the company gained similar control over the ordering, storage and handling of the perishable ingredients used to manufacture beverages. Because the ultimate product quality is a function of doing all things in a quality manner, from having the freshest ingredients, to proper storage, to timely delivery, SuperviSES® promotes superior quality control.

Because it is a completely web-based solution, SuperviSES® integrates seamlessly with desktop computing tools, enabling the dynamic creation of documents, spreadsheets, databases and reports. SuperviSES® was extremely cost effective to implement, with no need for expensive new client-side software or hardware. The user-friendly, web-based interface has a high level of functionality and eases the visualization of key phases of the product lifecycle. For example, color coding is used to indicate the age of products in all locations (blue=fresh, clear=acceptable, red=approaching expiration).

Another valuable visualization feature is the use of maps that indicate the location of products. Graphic "pushpins" on the maps indicate customers and orders. By "mousing over" any pushpin, specific customer and order information appears. The ability to view maps (and other screens) based on various time frames enables the customer to clearly visualize market penetration on a geographic basis. This makes it easier to see what areas are having the greatest success and what areas may need more attention.

A major advantage of the SuperviSES® Product Management Solution was a very short implementation time frame. Since the SuperviSES® Product Management Solution can be delivered in incremental modules, value is returned very early in the implementation process, ensuring each module meets our client's needs. This approach ensures rapid delivery of the overall solution with optimum quality. All SuperviSES® modules were live less than five months after the start of the project. Since deploying SuperviSES® for optimal product management, the company now has a clear picture of its "cost load" at any given time, because accurate, real-time information is now available about what the costs are for all phases from planning through fulfillment. With improved control over all aspects of planning, forecasting, manufacturing and distribution of its products, this client is now serving customers in a more timely manner, maintaining higher quality control and maximizing profits. In addition, they are well positioned for continued growth in their market.