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Conclusion
With the help of Centric, Pharma Logistics successfully transformed its business to achieve greater efficiency and higher output. Some of the positive results of this project include:
- The new fulfillment center sorting function replaced three functions in the prior state and now requires 12 full-time employees (FTEs), whereas the previous state used 33 FTEs.
- The new technology quickly captures product information, allowing the final disposition of about 70 percent of products to be identified at first touch compared to multiple product touches in prior state.
- This new system allowed Pharma Logistics to immediately process an order, obtain electronic return authorization requests, and ship returns the same day. The previous state required a minimum of 24 hours because multiple systems needed to share data off-hours. This allows 67 percent of RGAs to bypass handling and storage in the RGA racking.
- The increased visibility into operational performance gives fulfillment center managers the power to quickly address operations bottlenecks, and employees can flex between functions easier.
- The business can now identify each item back to the customer and order using serial identification of products, allowing for easier auditing.
There is always pressure on employees to work as quickly and effectively as possible. But when employees are inundated every day with forms and spreadsheets they must review, analyze and use to process customer requests, the longer it takes for them to address a customer’s needs.
The success of this project shows how businesses can find greater efficiency when people and technology work in harmony. Organizations looking to embark on technology-based transformations should challenge themselves to look beyond improving their processes from simply a tech perspective and consider how they can improve their people’s day-to-day jobs as well.
Want to read more about this project? Check out our article in The Chicago Business Journal.