An interview with Mr. Dragos Comaniciu, Chief of Development for Delaco Distribution
Delaco Distribution is one of the most important players on the cheese market in Romania. In its 21 years of existence, the company went through different development stages, starting with 3 enthusiastic employees in 1996, to 460 equally enthusiastic and energetic “Cheese Fans”. Besides their complex catalogue of Delaco-brand cheese products, the company exclusively distributes a series of renowned brands from the international market, such as: Lurpak, Zott, Joya, Bergader, etc.
In order to improve visibility, traceability and activities in the warehouse, Delaco considered it was essential to invest in the acquisition of a software solution that can answer its current needs. Thus, the decision was made to implement Senior Software’s WMS suite. Dragos Comaniciu, Chief of Development for Delaco Industries tells us more about the benefits brought by the system and what role the suite will play in the company’s future plans.
“Maintaining the consistency of speed and other indicators is extremely important, regardless the volume of goods that we process”
1. Why did you choose Senior Software’s WMS suite?
D. Comaniciu: 10 years ago, we implemented a German WMS suite, which was developed until a certain point, after which we saw that it stopped satisfying our business needs. This is why, last year, we started to search for a new solution.
We wanted a stand-alone system, developed on a solid platform, that would require only small tweaks, which could be made by any programmer. Another important criteria which we considered was the number of implementations on national and European levels. Thus, we chose Senior Software’s WMS suite, developed on the Mantis platform, after we saw what it brought to other clients, starting with processing speed, all the way to the ensuring of traceability.
2. What is the biggest advantage brought by the WMS suite?
D. Comaniciu: The biggest advantage is the system’s stability and, inherently, the stability it brings to our warehouse. In our workflow, orders received until 17:00 o’clock are to be delivered the next day anywhere in the country, which means we have a great volume of goods that we need to prepare in just a few hours.
This being said, maintaining the consistency of speed and other indicators, regardless of the volume of goods that we process, is extremely important.
“We’ve noticed an increase in the speed with which the processing and transmission of data is done and a decrease in the number of errors”
3. What were the benefits brought by the warehouse management suite?
D. Comaniciu: The system helped us gain more accurate information in regards to traceability. At the same time, we’ve noticed an increase in the speed with which the processing and transmission of data is done and a decrease in the number of errors.
Visibility over warehouse operations was also improved. There are operations which, before, were done in the warehouse but were not covered vision-wise by the old system. And I am talking about pallets locked for tagging, unlocking after tagging, allocating of tasks with the FEFO method. Now we have the ability to allocate stocks based off of more criteria and we can include more information on shipment tags.
More so, we’ve optimized the warehouse by product category, reorganizing the commissioning zone’s layout based on product flows and the sales importance of each category.
4. Regarding the usage of storage space, what changes did you notice?
D. Comaniciu: Regarding the usage of space, we’ve transformed a floor level which used to serve as a buffer for the ground floor into an extra storage area. By increasing the floor levels, meaning not one pallet, but two or three from a single article, we’ve optimized the resupplying area, basically eliminating the reserve storage and the first floor buffer. Thus, the now free floor became extra storage space.
Adding to this, the WMS system is configured in such a way that, in case storage spaces are extended, the app can immediately register any new shelves we install.
“A warehouse management system is essential for companies from our industry”
5. What changes did you notice in employee productivity?
D. Comaniciu: The reporting modules and the information supplied by the current WMS offers us the chance to measure each employee’s productivity. In the old system, we had a single measuring unit: to prepare orders until a set time, without knowing how many people participated and how they did so. Now we have a very clear image: we know how much each employee has processed, how many command lines have been done, what volumes (in kilograms) have been processed.
6. How important do you think a WMS suite is for companies from the dairy products distribution industry?
D. Comaniciu: A warehouse management system is essential for companies from our industry. I don’t see how you could manage a large warehouse, with a daily product flow of over 120 tons, in which you have to take into account expiry terms, batches and temperature conditions on reception and shipping, without a WMS.
