Real-Time Inventory Control at Can-Save with ACCU-DART
Case Study: Can-Save
ACCU-DART is a low-cost warehouse and inventory management solution that integrates fully and seamlessly with the end-user’s accounting software system. ACCU-DART was originally developed as a custom application for a specific end-user: Can-Save.
Can-Save is a building product distribution company located in Barrie, Ontario, not far from Toronto – a firm with a large number of inventory items that does volume business serving much of Eastern and Central Canada. Can-Save’s clients include many major building centres as well as building specialty retailers. In total, Can-Save handles thousands of discrete products from fifty manufacturers’ product lines.
The Challenge
Can-Save needed to implement a solution to help solve their inventory control issues. They approached their business and software consultant, Executive Concepts Inc, with the idea. Dan McArthur, CFO and COO at Can-Save, was very clear about what they needed.
“We wanted a system that gave workers the freedom to work wherever they needed to be and it had to be stable and reliable.”
“We wanted a system that would let us scan and update inventory in real-time as items were received off the truck. The system needed to let us put received items into inventory in real time. We wanted to pick-and-pack and to be able to do invoicing in real time, as items were shipped. In short, the solution had to provide real-time functionality from the warehouse floor.”
“Most importantly, we wanted a system that would let us do all of our receiving, warehousing and shipping better, and do more of it – and to accomplish all of this with the same amount of people.”
The Opportunity
“From the very start, we saw that Can-Save had given us a wonderful opportunity to create an elegant solution that would fully integrate with their accounting system,” according to Executive Concepts’ CEO, Irwin Ash. “This would make real-time integration of inventory and accounting records – something not available to small and mid-sized enterprises at that time. With real-time integration, we saw that inventory could be controlled at all levels – from the initial purchase order, to receiving, to stocking, to client orders, to pick-and-pack and shipping – all the way to product re-orders. The benefits to Can-Save were obvious – and they quickly agreed to work with us in creating a solution to their specific needs.”
The result: ACCU-DART, an easy, affordable, flexible, functionally rich, real-time inventory control solution designed specifically for the accounting system.
How ACCU-DART Works
With ACCU-DART managing inventory and warehouse operations, each item in inventory is assigned a barcode. When an item is received at the loading dock, a hand-held scanner is used to scan the item into inventory. When the item is put into its bin, it’s scanned again – confirming to the system that the product has been received and accurately warehoused.
When a client’s order comes in and is entered into the system, each order-item is matched to an inventory-item. As each item is picked, it’s scanned – confirming that the right goods are being picked for the right customer and updating the right bin. As items are packed for shipping, they’re scanned and ACCU-DART automatically updates all required data including shipping manifest, accounts receivable invoices, inventory movement audit trails, and of course, the on-hand inventory.
Eliminating Bottlenecks
When Can-Save first asked Executive Concepts Inc to look into their operations, Can-Save was experiencing several costly, frustrating problems. McArthur explained that the first – perhaps the worst – of these were the bottlenecks.
“We had bottlenecks at receiving, and again at stocking. In both instances, we had to physically move inventory materials to computers, to be logged into the system, before they could be stocked.”
“With ACCU-DART’s wireless operation, this bottleneck problem solves itself,” McArthur said. “As soon as an inventory item is taken off the truck, it’s logged into inventory. As an added benefit, this item can immediately be picked-and-packed and shipped out. This helps control our level of inventory, and permits a near instantaneous fulfillment of time-sensitive orders.”
Improving Picking Accuracy
Every warehouse operation faces challenges with the accurate picking of orders, and Can-Save was no exception.
“Picking orders – the old way – allowed mistakes to enter the system,” McArthur noted. “Too often, these mistakes were not spotted until items got to the front, to our shipping department. Then the picking would have to be done all over again – and mis-picked items had to be re-inventoried.”
“Now, every picked item is verified at the time of picking – no mistakes, no re-stocking. This saves time and money, and helps eliminate mis-shipping of items.”
Real-Time Integration
Because ACCU-DART is fully and seamlessly integrated with the end-user’s accounting system, every element of the warehouse and inventory management process is instantly and automatically updated into the master system, updating all relevant corporate records.
And because records are updated in real time, there is no lag between stages of the process – when orders are entered, the system immediately knows if the items ordered can be delivered or will have to be back-ordered.
Each of Can-Save’s departments – from warehouse operations, through customer service, accounts receivable, credit, general accounting, sales analysis and inventory management – have immediate access to the latest data. Thus, everyone is making better and timelier decisions.
The Impact
Real-time integration goes a long way toward eliminating human error – and toward increasing customer satisfaction. In today’s highly competitive marketplace, timely and accurate orders, with a minimum of errors and backorders, can prove to be a huge competitive advantage – something to which many ACCU-DART users, including Can-Save, testify.
According to Can-Save’s CFO and COO, Dan McArthur:
“ACCU-DART has proven itself to be an extremely cost-effective way of generating huge efficiencies. The integrated hardware and software of this system have generated a very quick – and sustained – payoff for Can-Save. ACCU-DART makes us more efficient and more competitive.”