For over ten years, Schnellecke Logistics Mexico has been a reliable distribution partner of a large food manufacturer. After a successful start of the cooperation, the range of orders was quickly expanded. In addition to an already existing distribution center in Cuautitlán, Mexico City, an additional branch was established together with the customer in the city of Irapuato.
In total, more than 680 tons of goods comprised of 129 different products leave the warehouse in Irapuato daily. This means that Schnellecke Logistics handles over 80 percent of this customer’s cheese and yogurt products consumed in Mexico.
Schnellecke’s tasks include incoming goods, warehousing, and the picking of goods based on the orders of more than 500 customers and 4,800 smaller shops in the region. More than sixty outgoing dispatches, including export goods to Guatemala, are registered every day. The goods with inland destinations can be on the road for up to three days, and up to a week for goods with international destinations.
The customer’s fresh products place high demands on the logistics handling, as not only do they have a shelf life of only 16 to a maximum of 33 days, the product stability pyramid also makes the picking of the products difficult. This refers to the positioning of the different products. In order to avoid damages, products that are very stable and can withstand a higher weight are placed in the lower area of the picked pallet and the somewhat lighter products in the upper area.
Further requirements are based on ISO 9000 standards and the high requirements of the customer:
Cold chain: The yogurt must be constantly cooled at a temperature ranging from 2 to 6 degrees Celsius to prevent the bacteria from becoming active and the yogurt inedible.
Integrity of the packaging unit: Packaging standards ensure product quality. Violation of the standards can result in the product becoming scrap.
Quarantine: During the maturing process of the yogurt, certain time limits must be kept before the product can be delivered to the customer (retail market). The release is issued by the laboratory.
Security and protection against biological terrorism: The access of persons to the distribution center is strongly regulated in order to prevent biological terrorism.
Product tracking: In order to guarantee a possible product recall from retailers within the shortest possible time, the exact information about which product (product batch) has been delivered to which customer has to be available. The Schnellecke Warehouse Management System (SWMS) provides the information necessary for this within seconds.
Bring on the water!
The market for bottled mineral water in Mexico has grown continuously in recent years because consumers distrust the quality of tap water.
An extensive distribution system consisting of five production plants, two central distribution centers, and thirty small distribution depots form the basis of this customer’s success in supplying the Mexican market. Depending on the season, between 100 and 170 million liters of bottled water are sold each month.
The customer had already been convinced by the advantages of the Schnellecke Warehouse Management System (SWMS). This clearly sets Schnellecke apart from its competitors in terms of quality and productivity. For example, the SWMS reduces the customer’s inventory costs, product expiration dates are optimally monitored, and the productivity and efficiency of the supply chain has improved significantly since its introduction.
These results convinced the customer’s management to sign a contract for cooperation with Schnellecke for the five production facilities and the two main distribution centers in Mexico.
