Kansas Cold Storage. Automating the Supply Chain.
The cold storage business is all about ensuring that goods get from point A to point B intact and on time. Kansas Cold Storage (KCS) moves tons of frosty food in and out of its multi-level warehouse every day. Most, if not all, is perishable—and if anything goes wrong, there can be severe consequences. “We have dozens of clients, and move hundreds of different types of food through the facility every day,” says Chief Operating Officer Miles Jones. “Keeping track of it all is a big challenge, and we simply can’t afford to make mistakes.”
When Jones joined KCS in 2007, the company’s old PC-based inventory system had fallen victim to old age, and the office staff had defaulted to paper. This archaic form of record keeping was tedious and time-consuming, not to mention inefficient. So Jones’ first job was to streamline operations and implement a computer system that could handle the company’s bewildering quantities of transitory inventory.
Fast, flexible, and easy to use
Jones found the perfect Mac-based inventory system for KCS, one that allows the company to stay in control and informed under the most stressful situations. It’s a far cry from the default pen-and-paper system that Jones faced when he arrived at KCS—and a quantum leap in cold storage organization. “This system has turned things around for us,” he says. “We can operate more productively and reliably now, and we don’t ever have to worry about downtime. When I arrived here, I was told that we would have to use PCs in any warehouse environment. I’m glad that we proved everyone wrong. You can use Macs for anything.”
There was no real question in Jones’ mind about the choice of Macs. The company needed something fast, reliable, flexible, and easy to use. And for Jones, this meant the Mac. “In 1937, they got the top architects of the day to design our warehouse,” says Jones. “So today, the Macs fit right in—they’re the best-designed computers on the market.”
Bringing productivity to new levels
In addition to more easily managing inventory, the Mac and Apple software streamline operations in countless ways. Apple Mail, iChat, Safari, and other applications make it easy for staff to stay on the same page and communicate instantly if any issues arise. These reliable Apple applications make this mission-critical warehousing business run more productively every day to help ensure that goods up and down the supply chain arrive precisely where and when they should. “Our customers depend on our ability to perform,” says Jones. “The Mac is a reliable component of a system that other companies depend on heavily to succeed in their businesses.”
If any of the products arrive damaged, the loading dock foreman can document the problem with a digital camera and import the shots into iPhoto. “You just hook up the camera, and iPhoto grabs the pictures,” says Jones. “It’s crucial that we have those pictures to show the client, and iPhoto is the easiest way to keep track of the photos.” Each photograph is automatically date- and time-stamped, and the dock foreman can tag the images with lot numbers and client information in iPhoto. “The entire system just works,” says Jones. “I couldn’t imagine using anything else to get the job done.”
To boost office productivity further, Jones uses an Airport Extreme Base Station to keep the office and loading dock computers connected, along with a one-terabyte drive and Time Capsule to wirelessly back up the office Macs. “The wireless network is flawless, and Time Capsule with Time Machine is the best backup solution we could ask for,” he says.
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"The Mac’s ability to run Windows, either with Boot Camp or Parallels, was a huge plus for us," says Jones. "From a manager’s standpoint, it eliminated any risk. We can choose among virtually every software application out there. From an accounting perspective, we’re effectively getting two computers in one. Couple that with the Mac’s great reliability, and we were ready to go."
Wireless Networking
The KCS warehouse is a nightmare for wireless networks—it’s a bunker of steel-reinforced concrete and insulation. Still, Jones uses an Airport Extreme Base Station to keep the office and loading dock computers connected, and a one-terabyte Time Capsule to wirelessly back up the office Macs. "The wireless network is flawless, and the Time Capsule with Time Machine is the best backup solution we could ask for," he says.
