PetMate Improves Synchronization with Manufacturing Partners
Petmate made its mark more than 45 years ago as the manufacturer of the first airline-approved pet carrier. Since then, the company has grown to be the world leader in kennel sales and one of the most respected names in pet supplies. As the company enlisted contract manufacturers to support an expanding product line and keep up with growing demand, it found that its existing ERP implementation required extensive manual workarounds. Depending on the volume of sales orders, a single staff member could spend an entire day emailing and faxing partners order information, shipping instructions, and labels -- and feeding release and shipment information back into the ERP system of record. The manual process also made it difficult to add new manufacturing partners without adding new staff.
Xtended Process Control (X.PC) from ClearOrbit provided a solution that not only streamlined the administration of contract manufacturing for Petmate, it also simplified the process for the company's contract manufacturers. X.PC transformed Petmate's manual approach to working with manufacturers through a Web-based collaborative environment that improved shared communications.
Petmate's manufacturing partners receive an automatic e-mail notification of a new order, and they can log on to X.PC to review the order in detail. Security settings ensure that partners see only their orders. From the same portal, the partner can print labels, confirm shipment quantities, and automatically receive shipping documents, eliminating another round of phone calls, faxes, and emails that require response.
X.PC even prevents a partner from shipping to a customer with a credit hold. Also, shipment information that Petmate receives from the partner feeds directly into the ERP system. Previously, the Petmate staffer had the chore of keying in purchase order receipts, performing inventory pick confirmations, and order shipment details. Now, Petmate receives that information in real time, which allows them to keep customers informed of order and shipment status.
Petmate's customers are as diverse as its product line, ranging from giant household names in retailing to smaller boutique vendors. Like all companies, Petmate wants to create a seamless experience for the customer, regardless of who assembles and ships the final product. Because X.PC improves the synchronization of order and shipping activity between Petmate and its manufacturing partners, shipments appear as if they come directly from Petmate -- right down to the labeling and shipping documentation.
"From the customer's point of view, there's no difference between something we ship from our Arlington facility or an order that our partner assembles and ships," says Terry Lemley, Petmate's manager of customer satisfaction and traffic. "That means we can extend our reach by working with manufacturers who are close to our customers, which helps us lower shipping costs."
X.PC also simplifies compliance with the end customer's labeling requirements by providing a centralized library of approved formats. Petmate centrally manages label formatting and changes, and the supplier can print compliant labels onsite. In the past, label modifications required programming changes for Petmate and its manufacturing partners.
In partnership with ClearOrbit, Petmate completed its initial X.PC implementation within
10 weeks. The company was able to extend the implementation with two new partners in another two weeks. As Petmate's product line expands and as demand increases, the company now has the infrastructure to easily build relationships with new contract manufacturers.
"ClearOrbit helps us approach our supply chain partnerships more strategically," says Jeff Black, vice president of distribution at Petmate. "We have more flexibility to forge new alliances, and we're able to help our partners be more efficient because of the capabilities we offer."
Because X.PC works with existing ERP data models, Petmate was able to preserve its investment in systems and training, without costly modifications to application code.
Also, the staff member responsible for manually transmitting order information to partners is now free to focus on more vital customer care responsibilities.
Xtended Process Control (X.PC) from ClearOrbit provided a solution that not only streamlined the administration of contract manufacturing for Petmate, it also simplified the process for the company's contract manufacturers. X.PC transformed Petmate's manual approach to working with manufacturers through a Web-based collaborative environment that improved shared communications.
Petmate's manufacturing partners receive an automatic e-mail notification of a new order, and they can log on to X.PC to review the order in detail. Security settings ensure that partners see only their orders. From the same portal, the partner can print labels, confirm shipment quantities, and automatically receive shipping documents, eliminating another round of phone calls, faxes, and emails that require response.
X.PC even prevents a partner from shipping to a customer with a credit hold. Also, shipment information that Petmate receives from the partner feeds directly into the ERP system. Previously, the Petmate staffer had the chore of keying in purchase order receipts, performing inventory pick confirmations, and order shipment details. Now, Petmate receives that information in real time, which allows them to keep customers informed of order and shipment status.
Petmate's customers are as diverse as its product line, ranging from giant household names in retailing to smaller boutique vendors. Like all companies, Petmate wants to create a seamless experience for the customer, regardless of who assembles and ships the final product. Because X.PC improves the synchronization of order and shipping activity between Petmate and its manufacturing partners, shipments appear as if they come directly from Petmate -- right down to the labeling and shipping documentation.
"From the customer's point of view, there's no difference between something we ship from our Arlington facility or an order that our partner assembles and ships," says Terry Lemley, Petmate's manager of customer satisfaction and traffic. "That means we can extend our reach by working with manufacturers who are close to our customers, which helps us lower shipping costs."
X.PC also simplifies compliance with the end customer's labeling requirements by providing a centralized library of approved formats. Petmate centrally manages label formatting and changes, and the supplier can print compliant labels onsite. In the past, label modifications required programming changes for Petmate and its manufacturing partners.
In partnership with ClearOrbit, Petmate completed its initial X.PC implementation within
10 weeks. The company was able to extend the implementation with two new partners in another two weeks. As Petmate's product line expands and as demand increases, the company now has the infrastructure to easily build relationships with new contract manufacturers.
"ClearOrbit helps us approach our supply chain partnerships more strategically," says Jeff Black, vice president of distribution at Petmate. "We have more flexibility to forge new alliances, and we're able to help our partners be more efficient because of the capabilities we offer."
Because X.PC works with existing ERP data models, Petmate was able to preserve its investment in systems and training, without costly modifications to application code.
Also, the staff member responsible for manually transmitting order information to partners is now free to focus on more vital customer care responsibilities.