CVS Group PLC Case Study
CVS Group plc Case Study
“Socius24 have helped us to significantly transform our operation. Through the deployment of a fully integrated Warehouse Management System we have eradicated paperwork, improved quality and efficiently increased the throughput of orders.”
John Hitchmough, Group Logistics Director, CVS Group plc
About CVS Group
CVS Group plc is one of the largest integrated veterinary services providers in the UK and owns over 500 veterinary surgeries with 1,900 vets and 2,500+ nurses throughout the UK, Netherlands and Republic of Ireland. These surgeries include seven referral practices providing first class specialist treatment.
The group includes Animed Direct, an online store selling medicines, pet food and other animal related products. The warehouse also distributes CVS’s own brand MiPet, to CVS & Buying Group members, this is a range of high quality and technically advanced products that can help manage certain conditions, treat acute or chronic illnesses and supports CVS & Buying Group clients to keep their pets in tip top condition.
Background
Established in 2010, Animed Direct has grown rapidly. This was placing significant pressure on the warehouse team who were not only fulfilling end-customer orders but also managing the distribution of medicines and products to 500+ veterinary practices across the country.
Reliant on paper and manual systems, the warehouse operation was struggling to meet growing demands, orders were being delayed, picking was far from efficient and significant manual intervention was required to ensure the quality and accuracy of order fulfilment.
Challenges
CVS were looking to significantly improve operational efficiency, they were using a basic system that was created internally and was no longer fit for purpose. They wanted to consolidate the picking of multiple orders from the same practice, to prioritise based on cut-off times and improve the accuracy of both receiving goods and fulfilling orders which had all of the inherent problems associated with manual processes.
With the current basic system, stock management was a challenge, with the reliance on manual processes for stock rotation, stock checks and the management and tracking of batch numbers. These issues were compounded with the need to ensure absolute accuracy in the release of controlled drugs that was proving to be a highly labour-intensive part of the operation.
Reliance on paper-based systems meant there was little visibility into stock.
Solutions Delivered
CVS Group selected Socius24 based on their extensive experience and expertise in deploying and integrating warehouse management systems. Socius24 helped CVS to deploy Blue Yonder Dispatcher WMS along with their User Service Portal to deliver the real-time visibility and flexibility that was a key requirement.
Outcome
By deploying Blue Yonder Dispatcher WMS and Socius24’s User Service Portal, CVS have been able to transform their warehouse operation. Many manual processes have been streamlined, the flow of stock has been optimised and the team have the visibility they need to track SLAs, ensure both expectations are expectations are met and efficiencies are gained.
SCALE THROUGH EFFICIENCIES – CVS has seen a significant improvement in the efficiency of picking and putting away. Less people are dealing with more orders, and they have been able to double the daily order throughput. This means that seasonal peaks can be handled, orders are fulfilled quicker and they are even able to deal with orders placed later in the day
GREATER CONTROL & ACCURACY – For CVS accuracy of order fulfilment and labelling is critical. Across every part of their operation and especially in the pharmacy, the manual workload of checking orders has been significantly reduced. System directed picking has improved accuracy and the automation of batch control, printing of dosage labels and system assisted QA has streamlined processes and enabled virtually 100% accuracy.
BEST POSSIBLE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE – Blue Yonder Dispatcher WMS and Socius24’s User Service Portal have also had a major impact on the customer experience. Not only has it reduced the turnaround time of orders, it has enabled customers to place orders throughout the day which are automatically consolidated and fulfilled.
Blue Yonder Dispatcher Warehouse Management System
Blue Yonder is one of the most recognisable and implemented solutions in the world.
Socius24’s expertise comes from our involvement in the design and development of the original RedPrairie Dispatcher solution, which enables us to fast-track deployment and ensure that our clients use its capabilities to the full. This reduces the cost and risk of deployment, leveraging a broad set of pre-built templates and plug-ins, allowing our customers to quickly gain the functionality they require.
