A leading fresh dog food manufacturer has streamlined its PPE stock management and realised a significant cost saving in the process, thanks to an innovative solution from RS.
Butternut Box implemented the RS ControlStock solution to help it overcome challenges around PPE stock management as the company scaled, achieving £30,000 per annum of savings. The fast-growing company now employs nearly 600 people across two sites located in Doncaster to manage manufacturing and fulfilment.
Cheryl Freeman, welfare manager for Butternut Box, said: “Prior to implementing RS ControlStock, we would have to pick and label the requested PPE items from stores, then message the teams to collect them. This led to a backlog of items waiting to be picked up.
“Stock control could also be challenging at times. With RS ControlStock, we can perform a digital stock search via a kiosk, quickly retrieve the item from the correct location with a scan card and benefit from the replenishment of items being automated.
“People can access PPE as required and this simplified process increases productivity. It also gives us real-time data and insights on consumption, which reduces our carrying costs as we’re only stocking what’s needed.”
RS ControlStock is a digitally enabled inventory management solution to control fast-moving consumables. It sits alongside other RS inventory management solutions including RS VendStock and RS ScanStock.
Rachael Hogan, head of product management for RS’ inventory solutions, said: “The partnership between RS and Butternut Box is a tail-wagging success, addressing age-old problems with innovative solutions. By streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency, Butternut Box continues to lead the pack in the fresh dog food industry while making a positive impact on its staff and the environment.
“Benefits go far beyond cost savings. Removing the tedium and frustration from time-consuming manual processes, and the stress of stock availability and delays, enables staff to concentrate on value-add business activities.”
Butternut Box is a B corporation accredited company, meaning it has been certified to meet the highest standards for social and environmental performance. The benefits of using the RS ControlStock solution helps the team contribute to ESG goals as a result of the regular pre-sorted deliveries. The availability of PPE also enables them to meet stringent health and safety compliance.
The £30,000 per annum of cost saving is contributed to by the saving of 1,761 per annum person hours and the efficiencies created by removing five process steps. Additionally, there has been zero stock-outs since implementation of the RS ControlStock solution.
For more articles like this, visit our Digital Transformation channel
