Accellos WMS for Microsoft Dynamics GP
COMPANY: Acme International Enterprises Inc.
KEY BENEFITS - Reduced system support requirements
- Visibility across entire supply chain
- A customized WMS solution that grows with company business needs
 Acme International Enterprises Inc. is a housewares and home accessories company whose roots date back to the early 1900s. Over its more than 100 year history, this Maplewood, New Jersey-based company has evolved into an importer and distributor of kitchen utensils, decorative magnets, and related products. Today Acme also develops and sells products under licensing from Coca-Cola, Nickelodeon and the National Hot Rod Association. They distribute items like the popular children’s toy SpongeBob SquarePants and Hot Rod magnets. The company’s wide base of customers range from leading North American retailers such as Wal-Mart, specialty chains such as Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens ‘N Things, to smaller houseware and home décor outlets. Acme is averaging more than 200 lines per order with many orders pushing 900 lines per order. They ship close to 2,500 orders per month to its customers from its 110,000 square foot warehouse facility and additional storage locations. The ChallengesIn 1993, Acme developed an in-house automated warehouse management system (WMS). Although the system supported the company’s operations through the years, the legacy system required that updates to inventory levels and other dynamic business information be made manually by one of Acme’s staff. As Acme’s business grew, the amount of coding required by the in-house WMS began to put a strain on the company’s small staff. Inventory receiving, for example, required Acme’s warehouse staff to print receiving reports which would then be keyed into the WMS system. The organization was also seeking to upgrade its ERP solution and needed a WMS solution which could easily integrate. Acme realized that a WMS solution developed by a technology provider would allow the organization to take advantage of powerful productivity and efficiency tools without requiring it to invest into a lengthy in-house development cycle. The SolutionIn 2001, Acme recognized that their legacy system could not adequately support its growth and began their search for a new solution. Working with Altara, a New Jersey-based technology consulting company, Acme chose to implement RADIO BEACON WMS version 3.5, because of its integration with Microsoft Great Plains, and because it was the only solution that closely fit Acme’s WMS function needs.
RADIO BEACON WMS is a reliable and versatile warehouse management system for mid-sized wholesale distributors who operate a sophisticated distribution operation. Working with Acme, Radio Beacon customized its WMS to meet the inventory management needs of its business.
Acme currently leverages Intermec hardware for all of its bar-coding needs in conjunction with RADIO BEACON WMS. The Intermec 2435 Radio Frequency handheld data collection terminals are used throughout Acme’s warehouse facility to move and ship orders.
The Benefits
Acme has been able to easily replace their legacy system with RADIO BEACON WMS, and the new system continues to meet the needs of their expanding business. Today, Acme’s staff no longer spend time coding entries manually and the company has been able to cut support costs. Warehouse efficiencies and customer service levels have also increased.
The Future Acme is planning to upgrade to RADIO BEACON WMS version 5.3 in early 2004. The new RADIO BEACON WMS will include Acme’s current customized functions and even more tools tailored to meet the exact needs of Acme’s thriving business.
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