Robert mcbride ltd

Company: StaffwareCustomer: Robert McBride LtdSubmitted by: StaffwareRobert McBride Ltd is the UK’s largest manufacturer of retailer brand household and personal care products. It has six manufacturing sites in the UK and a £300m turnover. It supplies household and personal care products to every major grocery retail chain in the UK.” Retailer Brands are all about change which brings massive pressure to the sequencing of work. Workflow has enabled us to change the order in which we do things, bringing enormous reduction in transaction time,” Anthony Jordan, Senior Business Systems Developer, Robert McBride Ltd.

The ‘ Big Bang’ Approach

Prior to implementing workflow, a Business Team at Robert McBride analysed its processes to understand exactly how they operated before workflow.

Product Launch

This was to ensure that it was not possible for users to revert to the manual system, as the new electronic forms had to go through an authorisation process built into the workflow.

Customer Contact Reports

Contact reports are completed when the account managers and account handlers have had contact with the customer. Each report records discussions and actions arising and can include any type of attached document. It also records actions required of individuals resulting from the contract. Its purpose is to keep both a permanent record of all customer contacts, including telephone calls, and to highlight and control actions to be carried out.

Promotions Process

Product Brief

It handles technical department review and an approval process involving senior sales management. When approved, information is passed to the Product Launch application.

New Product Introduction (NPI)

This process automates and controls the flow of work required to bring new products to market. A system was required to provide quick and easy access to data relating to the full life cycle of a New Product Introduction, including details from the Product Launch forms and other information relating to it. The NPI process is a vast process incorporating all activities from the generation of new product ideas to product evaluation 12 months after the launch.

Product Rationalisation

Authority to Order

Capex

Customer SamplesThis process is used when product samples need to be sent out to the customer. Sometimes a sample of a new product, formulation or packaging is required and a number of different variations are required for “ what if?” scenarios. It is a straightforward process that allows an account manager to request samples from a particular manufacturing site.

Pricing Management

This manages the process of maintaining price information for all customers. The company has a specific price list for each product range for each customer.

Customer and Product Group Plans

Future Application Areas

Summary of Staffware Workflow Benefits:

· Achieved reduction in component and finished goods inventory.· Instant data transfer and improved accuracy as everyone works to one shared document· Ability to handle increasingly complex processes and additional workload with the same number of people· The promotions proposal and approval process has been cut from ten to four days.· Actions completed on time are now used as a measure of success – currently up to over 90%.· Recording the allocation of actions provides visibility for management when resourcing.· Improved accuracy and exchange of information between supplier and customer as well as management of finished goods stock in the overall supply chain.

· Shorter lead times mean that more products can be manufactured in the same time.· Productivity of customer-facing staff has increased by 25%· Improved breadth and focus to establishment of category management within the accounts. The Difference – “ Business Led – System Delivered.” The success of Workflow within Robert McBride and the recognised benefits it has provided, means that the company is now looking at introducing Workflow into other areas of the business. It has also envisaged that the supply chain should be further extended to its suppliers and customers.