Dragos Comaniciu, Delaco: “I don’t see how you can manage a warehouse … without a WMS”
Interview with Mr. Dragos Comaniciu, Development Director of Delaco Distribution
Delaco Distribution is one of the most important players in the cheese market in Romania. In its 21 years of activity, the company has gone through multiple stages of development, growing from 3 enthusiastic employees in 1996 to 460 equally enthusiastic and energetic Cheese Fans. In addition to its complex portfolio of Delaco branded cheeses, the company exclusively distributes several well known international brands such as Lurpak, Zott, Joya, Bergader, and others.
To improve visibility, traceability and warehouse operations, Delaco considered it essential to invest in acquiring a software solution capable of meeting the company’s current needs. In this context, it chose to implement the WMS solution from Senior Software. About the benefits brought by the system within Delaco and the role the application will play in the company’s future plans, we hear from Dragos Comaniciu, Development Director at Delaco Distribution.
“Maintaining speed and other operational parameters constant, regardless of the volume of processed goods, is extremely important.”
1. What were the reasons for choosing the WMS solution from Senior Software?
D. Comaniciu: Ten years ago, we implemented a German WMS system, a solution that evolved up to a certain point, after which we considered that it no longer met our business needs. For this reason, last year we started looking for another solution.
We wanted a standalone system developed on a solid platform that would require only minor adjustments, which any programmer could handle. Another criterion we considered was the number of implementations at national and European level. Therefore, we chose the WMS solution from Senior Software, developed on the Mantis platform, after seeing its capabilities in use at other clients, from processing speed to ensuring full traceability.
2. What is the biggest advantage of the WMS solution?
D. Comaniciu: The biggest advantage is the system stability and, implicitly, the stability it provides in the warehouse. In our workflow, orders received until 5:00 PM are delivered the next day nationwide, which means we have a very large volume of goods to prepare within just a few hours.
Therefore, maintaining speed and keeping all operational parameters constant, regardless of the volume of processed goods, is extremely important.
“We have observed an increase in data processing and transmission speed, along with a reduction in errors.”
3. What benefits did the warehouse management solution bring?
D. Comaniciu: The system helped us achieve a much higher level of information accuracy regarding traceability. At the same time, we observed an increase in data processing and transmission speed and a reduction in errors.
Visibility over warehouse operations has also improved. There were many operations previously performed in the warehouse that were not covered by the old application in terms of visibility. This includes pallets blocked for labeling, release after labeling, and task allocation based on the FEFO method. We now have the ability to perform stock allocation based on multiple criteria and include more information on delivery labels.
Moreover, we optimized the warehouse by product categories, reorganizing the picking area layout according to product turnover and their importance in sales.
4. Regarding warehouse space utilization, what changes have you observed?
D. Comaniciu: Regarding space utilization, we transformed an upper level that previously served as a ground floor buffer into additional storage space. By increasing ground floor volumes, meaning storing two or three pallets of the same item instead of just one, we optimized the replenishment process, practically eliminating reserve storage and the buffer area on the first floor. In this way, the freed upper level became additional warehouse storage space.
In addition, the WMS system is configured so that, in case of warehouse expansion, once new shelving is installed, the application can immediately integrate it.
5. What changes have you observed in employee productivity?
D. Comaniciu: The reporting modules and the information provided by the current WMS system allow us to measure the productivity of each employee. In the previous system, we had only one performance indicator: preparing orders by a certain deadline, without knowing how many people were involved or how they contributed. Now we have a very clear overview: we know how much each employee processed, how many order lines were completed and what volumes in kilograms were handled.
6. How important do you consider a WMS solution for companies in the dairy distribution industry?
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