CASE STUDY “Sunsweet has always been forward-thinking, and one example is that we are continually re-engineering to improve our environment. With the help of Motorola and RedLine, we’ve implemented a wireless infrastructure that supports our SAP warehouse management module and also serves as the backbone for all of our wireless laptop needs at our headquarters location.” — Harold Upton, Vice President of Strategic Business Processes, Sunsweet Growers Organization overview: Sunsweet Growers, Inc. Sunsweet Growers manufactures dried fruit and juice products and distributes them worldwide. With nearly nine decades of business experience, the grower-owned marketing cooperative is among the most recognized brands in the U.S. One way Sunsweet has earned its prominent rank in an intensely competitive industry is by successfully applying technology to enhance efficiency. In 2007, Managing Automation® magazine honored Sunsweet with the “Progressive Manufacturing 50” award in the Supply Network Mastery category. The challenge: Enhancing inventory accuracy and warehouse efficiency When Sunsweet first implemented its SAP® ERP solution, the company deployed SAP inventory management to replace legacy systems. After experiencing the benefits of this application for several years, Sunsweet made plans to expand the solution to include the SAP warehouse management module. “We were tracking finished goods in quantity, but not by storage location. As a result, we had some inventory discrepancies and inefficiencies in finding and pulling products for shipment,” said Harold Upton, Vice President of Strategic Business Processes, Sunsweet Growers. Sunsweet decided to fine-tune these processes, and the company chose the finished goods environment at its Yuba City headquarters as the first phase of the project. Customer profile Company Sunsweet Growers, Inc. Location Yuba City, California (USA) Industry Manufacturer and distributor of fruit and juice products Motorola products • Motorola MC9090 mobile computers • Motorola VC5090 vehicle-mounted mobile computers • Motorola LS3408-ER scanners • Motorola WS5100 wireless switches Applications • Wireless system and mobile computers integrated with the SAP warehouse management module and also providing a LAN for corporate wireless laptops Partner • RedLine Solutions, Inc. Benefits • Increased inventory accuracy and efficiency • 10 percent labor savings • Achievement of ROI approximately nine months from installation • Increased visibility into real-time production • Reduced truck-load time. 1 CASE STUDY: Motorola and RedLine help Sunsweet drive inventory accuracy and efficiency with SAP WMS Motorola and RedLine help Sunsweet drive inventory accuracy and efficiency with SAP WMS
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CASE STUDY
“Sunsweet has always been forward-thinking, and one example is that we are continually re-engineering to improve our environment. With the help of Motorola and RedLine, we’ve implemented a wireless infrastructure that supports our SAP warehouse management module and also serves as the backbone for all of our wireless laptop needs at our headquarters location.” — Harold Upton, Vice President of Strategic Business Processes,
Sunsweet Growers
Organization overview: Sunsweet Growers, Inc.Sunsweet Growers manufactures dried fruit and juice products and distributes them worldwide. With nearly nine decades of business experience, the grower-owned marketing cooperative is among the most recognized brands in the U.S. One way Sunsweet has earned its prominent rank in an intensely competitive industry is by successfully applying technology to enhance efficiency. In 2007, Managing Automation® magazine honored Sunsweet with the “Progressive Manufacturing 50” award in the Supply Network Mastery category. The challenge: Enhancing inventory accuracy and warehouse efficiency When Sunsweet first implemented its SAP® ERP solution, the company deployed SAP inventory management to replace legacy systems. After experiencing the benefits of this application for several years, Sunsweet made plans to expand the solution to include the SAP warehouse management module.
“We were tracking finished goods in quantity, but not by storage location. As a result, we had some inventory discrepancies and inefficiencies in finding and pulling products for shipment,” said Harold Upton, Vice President of Strategic Business Processes, Sunsweet Growers.
Sunsweet decided to fine-tune these processes, and the company chose the finished goods environment at its Yuba City headquarters as the first phase of the project.
Customer profile
CompanySunsweet Growers, Inc.
LocationYuba City, California (USA)
IndustryManufacturer and distributor of fruit and juice products
Motorola products• Motorola MC9090 mobile computers• Motorola VC5090 vehicle-mounted mobile computers• Motorola LS3408-ER scanners • Motorola WS5100 wireless switches
Applications• Wireless system and mobile computers integrated with the SAP warehouse management module and also providing a LAN for corporate wireless laptops
Partner • RedLine Solutions, Inc.
Benefits• Increased inventory accuracy and efficiency• 10 percent labor savings• Achievement of ROI approximately nine months from installation• Increased visibility into real-time production• Reduced truck-load time.
1 CASE STUDY: Motorola and RedLine help Sunsweet drive inventory accuracy and efficiency with SAP WMS
Motorola and RedLine help Sunsweet drive inventory accuracy and efficiency with SAP WMS
“We already owned SAP, so that software was in place. We needed to implement the new module, and we began to look for the best solution for the hardware and wireless communications pieces of the project,” Upton said.
The solution: Motorola wireless environment and mobile computers In selecting the computing hardware and wireless components for the new warehouse solution, Sunsweet’s first criteria were proven reliability and strong partnerships within the SAP environment, according to Upton.
“Durability was key, and we also have some pretty unique warehouse requirements,” he said. “For example, moisture is an issue because in addition to finished goods we have a production facility that generates a tremendous amount of steam. Of course, cost was also high on our list,” Upton added.
Sunsweet narrowed the list and made a choice that met its requirements: an end-to-end Motorola wireless environment including Motorola rugged MC9090 mobile computers, Motorola VC5090 vehicle-mounted mobile computers, Motorola LS3408-ER scanners, Motorola WS5100 wireless switches and AP300 access ports.
During its product investigations, the Sunsweet team had met with representatives of several system integrators including Motorola Business Partner, RedLine Solutions. Ultimately, Sunsweet selected RedLine to perform the implementation, including site surveys and hardware staging due to their expertise and strong references.
Today at the Yuba City facilities, there are 20 VC5090 mobile computers mounted on forklifts and five additional MC9090 mobile computers carried by management to monitor problems, check inventory, and perform cycle counts, among other tasks. There are 40 Motorola wireless access points and both a primary and a redundant wireless switch.
The Motorola implementation was “smooth and painless,” according to Upton. “The Motorola equipment has been very reliable, and there were no problems during the temperature extremes this summer. We have Motorola support for the devices, but we haven’t had to use it yet,” he noted.
The capabilities of Motorola’s LS3408-ER extended range scanner are very important to Sunsweet. “Some drivers are scanning labels that are 20 to 30 feet up and also back another 20 or 30 feet,” said Upton. “The range of the Motorola equipment is really good, and so is the flexibility: when a driver pulls a pallet off the line, now the label may be less
2 CASE STUDY: Motorola and RedLine help Sunsweet drive inventory accuracy and efficiency with SAP WMS
than two feet away. They need to scan accurately at both extremes, and the Motorola equipment is handing that very well,” he explained.
The benefits: Inventory visibility, labor savings, and enhanced quality control“At a recent board meeting, LaMont Feske, director of shipping and receiving, made a presentation with highlights of how the system is working. The overall report is that it’s outstanding,” Upton said. “The learning curve has been small, and the personnel using the Motorola equipment every day are excited about it,” he added.
Sunsweet had a project objective of 10-percent labor savings, which was achieved almost immediately, according to Upton. “With that alone, we’d have a two-year ROI at Yuba City, but with the additional savings we’re on target for realizing, an ROI in about nine months,” said Upton.
The new system is definitely increasing inventory efficiency, Upton noted, and the visibility on a pallet level has made the quality system more efficient as well. “We’ve gone from production being reported at the end of the shift to production being reported as it comes off of the line, scanned in real time. The supervisors and upper management have more visibility into how well are individual lines producing on a daily basis, and shipments are going out as quickly as possible,” he explained.
As Sunsweet makes plans to expand the same Motorola wireless infrastructure to its other facilities, word of mouth is spreading. “The people element is really pushing us forward. The teams here who are using the new system are giving strong testimonials to their counterparts at our Fleetwood, Pennsylvania facility, which is the second phase of this project,” said Upton. “The beneficiaries of the new systems are anticipating and driving the projects,” he added.
3 CASE STUDY: Motorola and RedLine help Sunsweet drive inventory accuracy and efficiency with SAP WMS
For Sunsweet, the benefits of the Motorola solution include:
• Targeting achievement of ROI approximately nine months from installation
• Gaining labor savings of approximately 10 percent
• Increasing visibility into real-time production • Reducing truck load time • Reducing adjustments to monthly finished goods inventory
Sunsweet has decided to increase the benefits of the Motorola wireless infrastructure by also using it as the backbone for wireless laptops. “We’re setting up virtual LANs and isolating office traffic from warehouse traffic for security and routing purposes,” said Upton. “We’ll take that same infrastructure throughout the organization not only at our headquarters in Yuba City but also at our facilities in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, and other Sunsweet facilities as the project expands,” he concluded.
Additional resourcesFor more information, visit www.motorola.com.
About Redline SolutionsRedLine Solutions is an accomplished mobile solution enabler for members of the warehousing and agriculture supply chain. RedLine Solutions sells and integrates Motorola wireless infrastructure and mobile computers into ERP systems to provide a real-time interface for product movements, picking/staging, and shipments. With the help of RedLine Solutions, members of the produce supply chain can streamline internal processes, increase efficiency, and meet food safety regulations and best practices. For more information, visit www.redlinesolutions.com
