Case Study: Loudon Bros. achieves 300% picking productivity and streamlined warehouse and supply chain efficiency with Food Decision Software (WinFDS)

Business Processes Streamlined and Warehouse Management Improved

Loudon Bros. is a family-owned broadline food distributor serving rural Thunder Bay, Ontario, where high transport costs, three-day supplier lead times and a summer population surge more than double demand create extreme seasonality and tight margins. To manage these challenges they have used Food Decision Software’s WinFDS suite since 1997 (including early web order entry) to support demand forecasting, order processing and warehouse operations.

Food Decision Software implemented WinFDS modules — demand forecasting, web order entry/electronic data transfer and the WinFDS warehouse management module — and supported a warehouse revitalization project. The vendor’s solution delivered measurable gains: a 300% improvement in picking productivity, better space utilization, reduced dead stock and improved inventory accuracy, with more than 25% of orders entering the system untouched, reduced order lead times and higher fill rates.

Loudon Bros.

Murray Gleeson

Director of Marketing and Finance