EDI Platform Keeps Customer Orders Flowing, Improves Partner Communications
 Guildford, UK (7th September 2009) - Magners Original Irish Cider, the number one packaged cider brand in Great Britain, today announced it has enhanced its supply chain communications with retailers and partners with the TrustedLink® and BizConnect® solutions from Inovis. Through Inovis software, Magners has been able to improve sales order processing (SOP) through an 'always online' platform and also save hundreds of thousands of pounds using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to better manage outsourced business processes. Read the full Magners case study here.
"Processing orders and getting stock to our customers on time is crucial, especially in today's competitive market. We rely heavily on technology to exchange supply chain data electronically, not only with our customers but with our partners too," said Jimmy McHugh, Business Systems Analyst, Magners. "With TrustedLink and BizConnect, we have the peace of mind that not only can we automatically process orders 24/7, but also that we can better manage our outsourced business functions, such as pallet rental and logistics, to drive down costs and improve efficiency."
With a distribution network spanning 17 international markets, and including retailers such as Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's and Morrisons, Magners has to ensure its SOP and product distribution processes work as efficiently as possible. The TrustedLink solution ensures that all customer orders are automatically integrated into back-office ERP systems, improving the accuracy of data and helping to cut down on mistakes within the warehouse that can lead to inaccurate orders or non-delivery of goods.
Additionally, the BizConnect software provides another layer of protection by guaranteeing that orders are successfully sent and received at both ends of the cycle. As the software works on an exception basis, it monitors the flow of data and alerts IT staff to the non-delivery of orders and other important information via email and BlackBerry device, cutting down on the resources required to manage the system and ensuring that the order platform remains 'always on.'
Working closely with Inovis partner Colman Computer Services, Magners is also saving hundreds of thousands of pounds each year with better-management of its outsourced pallet service with CHEP. Utilising EDI, Magners can declare the exact time of the delivery of each pallet to retailers, ensuring the business is not liable for extra rental charges through failure to pass on liability to the retailer or back to CHEP. Simply by managing this data via a consolidated platform, Magners can eradicate unnecessary costs from its EDI operations.
Magners has also worked with Inovis to improve the visibility of EDI information, which plays a key part in driving down costs associated with the organisation's outsourced logistics operations with Lucey Transport in Ireland. Via TrustedLink, staff at Lucey can monitor Magners order volumes in real time and gauge more efficiently the number of vehicles required to deliver stock to retailers. Simply by working smarter and tracking live order information, Lucey can better organise how stock is moved from warehouse to retailer, cutting down delivery-related costs and also reducing the number of vehicles on the road to cut down on the environmental impact of its operations.
"As retailers globally impose chargebacks and fines for inaccurate, mistimed or non-delivery of goods, the pressure on suppliers to get it right first time, every time is intensifying," said John Redfern, Managing Director, Inovis, EMEA. "Data accuracy and visibility of supply chain information are two vital components in helping suppliers overcome these challenges, and Inovis is delighted that companies, such as Magners, are leading the way in using EDI to work smarter and improve how they communicate with partners to ultimately drive efficiency and increase revenue."
About Magners Irish Cider
Magners Irish Cider was first launched in the UK, at the beginning of 2003. It has gained popularity over the last six years and is now the number one packaged cider brand in Great Britain.
Crafted from a unique blend of 17 varieties of apples, and sourced from orchards in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Magners is available in 17 markets around the world, and demand continues to grow at a rapid pace. |
