All Honeydew Dairy products are made by loyal long-serving staff using traditional recipes combined with advanced technological processes. A commitment to exceptionally high standards of food hygiene and handling principles combined with superior quality milk is the hallmark of Honeydew's sterling reputation. This is confirmed by continuous testing in a state-of-the-art on-site laboratory.
Founded in 1994, Honeydew Dairies' product range has evolved and expanded to suit trends in customer demand. New products are carefully formulated for the convenience and satisfaction of loyal customers. Its factory operates seven days a week and drivers deliver on demand, making certain that customers receive only the freshest produce.
Modern dairy processing
Managing the daily processing of 250,000 to 300,000 litres of milk, further complicated by the sale and return process as retailers sell dairy products on consignment, is no mean feat. The daily invoicing process involves invoices that have more than 400 line items. "Over the last five years the business has expanded exponentially and our old system just couldn't keep up. With over 700 staff nationally we realized that we needed comprehensive business software that offered scalability, flexibility, and usability," says Mike Fischer, chief operating officer for Honeydew Dairies.
Why Epicor and New Era Solutions
After careful evaluation and consultation with New Era Solutions, a member of the Epicor Inspired Partner Network, it became clear that Epicor ERP (now known as Kinetic) was the best choice for their requirements. "Epicor ERP [Kinetic] offers a comprehensive solution to manage our complex daily sale and return process. It also offers unmatched usability and agility, which is critical in the dairy business where time is of the essence," says Fischer. "New Era Solutions were exceptionally responsive to our needs and any hiccups were sorted out maturely and without delay."
"Our team wasted no time in gaining insight into Honeydew Dairies and its processes. Working with such a wide variety of products that have a limited shelf life means that careful attention must be paid to agility and speed without compromising on quality," says Stuart Scanlon, sales director for New Era Solutions. "The production component in itself is complex and further compounded by the multifaceted invoicing and order management processes."
With the volumes of product that gets ordered, produced, and shipped on a daily basis, it was imperative that the business could continue as usual. So the installation at Honeydew Dairies needed to be rolled out in phases. The initial phases included core functionality within financials, sales order management, production, and shipping. Future phases will see production enhancements, quality assurance, mobility, and bar coding.
Success
With Epicor ERP in place, Honeydew Dairies is poised for growth due to its improved efficiency and profitability. "The source of the order process is the merchandisers in stores across the country. Some of our products are wasted due to over ordering. As we evolve and embrace our new system we will be able to minimise this with handheld devices at store level. This will make a significant difference to our business' profitability," explains Fischer. "This will also benefit our customers as they continue to enjoy our top quality products."