Central Pet`s Selection of Warehouse Control Systems from QC Software in Food Logistics Magazine

he current issue of Food Logistics magazine, manufacturingjournalist, Thomas R. Cutler, profiled how Central Pet, a national pet fooddistributor, was ready to automate its manual warehouse operations. The entirearticle can be read athttp://www.foodlogistics.com /print/Food-Logistics/Gaining- Control-Of-The-Warehouse/1$224 7.With pet food and supply sales soaring, the company decided to meet its logisticalchallenges by installing an automated picking solution."What we had been using was inefficient, pretty much pushing a cart down anaisle--no scanners, no pick-to-light, no pick-to-voice," says Jeff May, operationsmanager for Central Pet, which is a business unit of Walnut Creek, CA-based CentralGarden and Pet Co.Central Pet turned to TriFactor LLC, a materials handling systems integrator basedin Jacksonville, FL, to develop an interface between the conveyor control system andCentral Pet's WCS (warehouse control system) to get them to "talk" to one another.Jerry Lovell, TriFactor's senior electrical project engineer, worked with theinformation technology department at Central Pet to make the modifications necessaryto get the information in and out of the system."There was no conveyor system in place at Central Pet--they were picking with ordersheets and pallets, taking the order by hand and bringing it all the way up toshipping," says Lovell. "We created a new system that allowed them be more efficientand more organized. It was a big change for Central Pet. The system allowed them tocut the amount of time people had to work."Introducing a WCS with a WMS (warehouse management system) often results in anoverlap of functionality between systems. "The WCS is more focused on the activities within the warehouse relating to orderfulfillment and shipping. Determining the best place to perform each distinct levelof activity will avoid any conflict," says Jerry List, vice president of QC SoftwareInc., a warehouse controls provider in Cincinnati. "However, there are still areasof functional overlap. Each must be considered carefully for optimum systemperformance.""The challenge at Central Pet was not symptomatic of other projects we have workedon because most already have a conveyor system in place," says Lovell. "We chose QCSoftware's WCS for Central Pet-- knew their WCS capabilities and how their softwareworked. It's very platform-independent, works well with different types of systemsand is very cost efficient. TriFactor has used it for six or seven previous clientsand I was confidant bringing them onboard for this project."QC Software's List acknowledges that when it is the right technology applicationthere are numerous immediate benefits. QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse controlsystems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software,utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development,and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designedto be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highlyscalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse. QC Software, Inc.www.qcsoftware.comJerry ListJerryList@qcsoftware.com (513) 469-1424

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