Skillcraft Implements TransLution™ Software for Warehouse & Repairs Management
Identifying the Issues
Skillcraft Agencies is a leading South African wholesale supplier and distributor of industrial-quality tools, accessories, and equipment. As the company experienced growth, it faced increasing challenges in managing its warehouse operations efficiently and keeping accurate track of stock. The result was that staff had very little confidence in the data on their existing systems.
In order to improve the stock accuracy and streamline processes, Skillcraft decided to implement TransLution WMS.
Project Background
On joining Skillcraft Agencies in 2019, the National Operations Manager identified that the existing systems and processes were prone to errors, resulting in inaccurate stock levels, delayed order fulfilment, and dissatisfied customers. Recognizing the need for an advanced solution, the company embarked on the journey of implementing a WMS.
Project Initiation
TransLution Software was ultimately selected over a number of other systems owing to its global support network, including a local South African support team, as well as the opportunity to implement the system using a phased approach rather than all at once. Lastly, TransLution is fully integrated with SYSPRO, allowing Skillcraft to seamlessly work across both systems without any interruption of data.
Implementation
The implementation team conducted a thorough analysis of Skillcraft Agencies’ operational needs identifying key requirements and deciding on a phased implementation approach.
In phase one, TransLution was implemented to manage stock transfers, sales orders, and supply chain transfer(SCT) picking and checking. Sales orders and SCTs are placed in ship in SYSPRO and TransLution is then used on a scanner to direct the picker through the warehouse to pick the stock. As stock is picked it is posted to the dispatch note. The stock is then checked with a scanner as it is packed into boxes and box labels are printed. Data in each process is synced in real time with SYSPRO, ensuring seamless and accurate data exchange between the two systems, reducing manual data entry and minimizing errors.
Phase two focused on Skillcraft’s repairs division, implementing TransLution to handle the entire repairs process, including booking the repair into the warehouse, creating the sales order for the repair, issuing spare parts, and invoicing. SYSPRO is updated at each step of the process and emails are sent to inform the relevant parties of the repair’s progress.
Benefits and Outcomes
TransLution’s flexibility allowed the Skillcraft and TransLution teams to work together to implement a system that works with Skillcraft’s processes rather than trying to fit the processes to an “off-the-shelf” system.
The implementation of TransLution Software brought about several significant benefits for Skillcraft:
- Improved Stock Accuracy and Traceability: Barcode scanning and automated data capture using TransLution has minimized human error, ensuring accurate inventory tracking and order fulfillment. The result is that Skillcraft has gone from an average of 68% stock accuracy to 97% stock accuracy.
- Streamlined Operations & Improved Service Delivery: TransLution has automated picking and checking processes, making it easier for employees to track orders, locate products, and fulfill customer requests efficiently. This has resulted in Skillcraft going from picking 900 sales order lines a day, to an average of 2200 lines a day. The repairs process was also streamlined, with the lead time being cut by 25 – 30%, further improving service delivery to customers.
- Real-Time Reporting and Analytics: TransLution generates comprehensive reports and analytics, providing visibility and insights into the business. Skillcraft now has live dashboards for reps on the road who can see the whole lifecycle of a repair. This data has also helped Skillcraft make more informed business decisions and identify areas for improvement.
“Due to the implementation of picking and checking alone, we were able to enhance service delivery to customers by cutting lead times by 1.5 days.
We were also able to leverage this to get our couriers to cut another day off the lead time. All together, we halved the time to get an order to a customer.”
“TransLution didn’t just help us implement a barcode scanning solution, they helped us tighten our processes and achieve success through the barcode scanning solution and outside of the barcode scanning solution.”
Future Plans
Skillcraft is now in the process of implementing a customer returns process. This will assist in enhancing the company’s aftersales service. They also aim to achieve a 99.8% stock accuracy.
There are also future plans to implement TransLution for cycle counting in order to cycle count each warehouse within a 6-week period, creating an accurate and auditable stock picture that will ultimately allow the company to do away with annual stock takes.
