Beverage

Powering the bottom line for leading distributors

Beverage distributors and wholesalers face relentless pressure to move high volumes of proliferating SKUs in and out of their warehouses. With beverage inventory owned and managed by the distributor, the “push” supply chain demands even more precision and speed. To ensure margins, distributors must perform receiving, putaway, picking, truck load planning, route planning and direct store deliveries with the utmost proficiency.

Softeon Beverage solution is a complete end-to-end beverage distribution system that supports distributors of any size with flexible modules. The solution renders real-time visibility and control of all stages of the distribution cycle including order management, route accounting, load planning, warehousing and delivery. Designed with Softeon’s web-based, flexible rules engine, the solution delivers rich functionality with quick deployment and ROI.

Advanced functionality in a highly-configurable beverage solution

Our modular approach combines specialized beverage functionality with all the benefits of Softeon next-gen WMS. Governed by our industry-leading Route Accounting System, the solution enables real-time order status and visibility to support complex order processing and pricing/discount configuration from inception to post fulfillment. The beverage solution features:

Streamlined set up: voice-enabled and ready for integration with RF technology and material handling equipment (MHE) for accurate picking and receiving to enable high-velocity transactions
Enhanced receiving and putaway: ASN interfaces from the brewery or bottling plant use rules-based cycle accounting and other functionality to ensure accurate receiving, putaway and automated order replenishment
Productivity enhancements: use real-time WIP dashboards to eliminate bottlenecks in picking and loading during progression of pick waves to ensure timely loading of trucks
Automated product placement decisions for warehouse setup and layout: evaluate user-defined preferences and constraints with the advanced Slotting & Optimization module
Optimized loads: use the load planning dashboard for pallet configuration, allowing for constraints like mix, brand, customer-specific configurations, cubage or bay size

Achieve operational excellence and bottom-line performance

Softeon technology enables easy integration between business and order fulfillment systems to support better operational decisions. The beverage solution enables distributors to improve operational efficiencies by 60% or greater in reduced labor and operating costs, improved pick accuracy, optimized inventory with fast velocity and reduced product damage, among other metrics.

"From our planning phase to implementation to day-to-day operations, Softeon has been a tremendous company to work with. I truly feel that we are a better company today than we were before we started the implementation."

David S. Carter, Operations Director, Atlantic Dominion Distributors
“The Softeon WMS solution will streamline the entire supply chain from receipt of product at the distribution center through delivery to the stores. Increasing visibility into real-time inventory will allow us to better plan picking of store orders from a range of food, beverages, tobacco products, health and beauty aids, automotive products, and other nonfood items.”

Bill Walljasper, Senior VP & CFO, Casey’s
"Softeon’s WMS product has been instrumental in our dealing with the growing number SKU’s and Suppliers. The visibility of the products and warehouse activities is tremendous."

Paul Holton, VP Operations, Ben E. Keith Beverages, (Anheuser-Busch InBev)
"Softeon has provided us a software solution that improves every aspect of our warehousing and distribution operations. They have designed a warehouse management system for us that will allow our company, and any other beverage distributor, to stay on the leading edge of distribution and excellent customer service."

Jim LaRose, President, The House of LaRose, (Anheuser-Busch InBev)
“Softeon’s WMS product more than met our requirements, and they essentially became a partner in our success.”

Kirk Baldwin, V.P. Operations, Hoffman Beverage Company (Anheuser-Busch InBev)
“Softeon’s seamless integrated RAS and WMS solution, takes inventory accuracy, visibility and reporting back to Anheuser Busch to the next level.”

Chris Scott, Chief Technology Officer, Hoffman Beverage Company (Anheuser-Busch InBev)
“We are extremely impressed with the performance of Softeon and their WMS product. Their solution is very user friendly and completely rules driven. This enables us to easily configure the system to meet our ever-changing business requirements in a very short time. In Softeon, we have a partner with broad industry and process experience providing our team opportunities for improvements we did not have before. Softeon personnel rolled up their sleeves and worked side by side with our personnel – they are there for us.”

Joe Smoliga, Vice President of Operations,Tastefully Simple, Inc

Softeon Core Beverage Modules

Softeon Beverage WMS:

Increase operational efficiencies from the entire order to delivery cycle. Softeon WMS functionality drives every aspect of beverage warehousing and distribution: receiving, putaway, order picking, replenishment, returns and cycle count. Advanced features like dynamic, optimized pick paths and order picking synchronized with delivery truck loading plans improve bottom-line performance.

Route Accounting System (RAS):

Boost operational efficiencies in a single real-time enterprise-wide application that combines sales order and inventory management, financial accounting as well as route maintenance/reconciliation. With flexible interface capabilities to Softeon WMS and other business suites, RAS supports complex order processing and inventory visibility across the distribution landscape.

Transportation Management System (TMS):

Gain significant loading and shipping efficiencies. Softeon TPM enables complex load planning and truck load optimization with powerful graphical tools to automatically create delivery truck plans integrated with customer pre-orders and route-specific sales forecasts (peddle sales).

Direct Store Delivery (DSD):

Improve cash flow and take you customer relationships to the next level. Backed by powerful Smart Client mobile applications, Softeon DSD functionality includes: visibility to loads in bays, invoicing at the store with signature capture, driver settlement and mobile/PDA-based order capture.