A recent webcast featuring Ainsworth Pet Nutrition and the petfood manufacturer's supply chain consultant demonstrated how the company integrated forecasting and production planning into its supply chain.
Jamie Hornstein, director of Information Services at Ainsworth, and his consultant, Sumantra Sengupta of EVM Partners LLC, optimized the petfood manufacturer's supply chain with technology based on JustFoodERP. The company operated a single location when the business software was first installed in 2007 but has since expanded, and it now operates two plants, two offices and 10 warehouses. During the expansion and optimization, Sumantra said he was most suprised by "the amount of change management required… the mindshare shift [of Ainsworth] from a regional to a national player.”
According to Sumantra, the biggest supply chain issues are: “The top line isn’t growing more than 3 to 5 percent and about 60 percent of the cost structure is in the supply chain. That’s why inventory management is so important – really understanding your data and business drivers. But getting that right is just the start, then analytics and reporting are key, how you slice and dice your data.”
