Flowers Foods is a major supplier of fresh and frozen bakery goods, including such brands as Nature's Own, Cobblestone Mill, Sunbeam, Blue Bird and Mrs. Freshley's. Based in Thomasville, Ga., the company operates 36 bakeries with sales across the southeastern, southwestern and mid-Atlantic states. It manages a direct store-delivery network in that region, while relying on other delivery methods to achieve a nationwide reach. Sales in 2006 reached $1.9bn. Recently Flowers Foods implemented warehouse, transportation and yard-management systems from HighJump software. The move was intended to support a lean-inventory model, deploying HighJump's warehouse-management system (WMS) at its facility in Crossville, Tenn. to perform such functions as cross-docking and high-speed replenishment. According to HighJump, the technology allows Flowers Foods to distribute highly perishable goods with greater efficiency. At the same time, the company achieves a clearer view of inventory outside the warehouse. The HighJump yard-management system (YMS) helps it to streamline yard operations with automated work direction, appointment scheduling and complete visibility of trucks, trailers, drivers and goods. Flowers Foods uses intuitive transportation-planning applications, including load and route optimization. They allow the company to analyze transportation costs alongside sales data, resulting in an accurate figure for the cost of serving each customer. In the process, Flowers Foods is able to maintain high levels of customer service, while keeping tabs on inevitable fluctuations in cost allocations. The HighJump suite is helping the company to reach its goal of "minimal inventory," says Vyto Razminas, vice president and chief information officer. In another company development, HighJump said its WMS is now supporting inventory management for Lion Apparel, a maker of uniforms and equipment for U.S. military personnel. Lion has implemented the software at 17 distribution centers worldwide, allowing for the creation of an interlocking network of facilities. The result, according to HighJump, has been a 30-percent increase in productivity along with greater visibility and accuracy in inventory management. Lion also makes uniforms and equipment for firefighters, police, and emergency medical personnel.
Flowers Foods: http://www.highjumpsoftware.com
Lion Apparel: http://www.highjumpsoftware.com