Warehouse and Inventory Management Blog for eCommerce Retailers and 3PLs | Infoplus Commerce

Help With Seasonal Demand in Fulfillment: The Case of Allen Brothers

Written by James Maes | May 27, 2016 4:46:55 PM

Businesses that carry inventory often need to meet multiple competing demands: Rising customer expectations, marketplace changes, compliance issues, and growing costs all must be balanced to deliver exceptional service without eroding profits.

And that makes seasonal variation in market demand an especially tricky problem. Spikes in demand not only require more stock but also trigger the need for warehousing space, additional labor and training, and more cost-efficient shipping options. Expanding operations is one option, but this creates an unprofitable situation during the rest of the year when demand is lower.

So what can a business owner do? This was exactly the challenge faced by Allen Brothers, a supplier of premium quality steaks and other high-end meats and seafood. A large percentage of Allen Brothers’ sales and order activity takes place during the critical end-of-year and holiday season. Order volume increases substantially, meaning the inventory, processes, and labor force that prove adequate during the rest of the year need ramping up in anticipation of this increased holiday demand.

Allen Brothers provides an excellent case study of how a supplier of quality food products uses a cloud-based order, warehouse, and shipping management solution to maintain strict inventory lot control, receive real time data, and handle picking, packaging and shipping more efficiently...even with this large seasonal variation in demand.

Download the Case Study: Steak in the Game

In this full-length Allen Brothers case study you will learn:

  • How Infoplus helped Allen Brothers to manage labor, packing materials, and shipping options to maximize efficiency
  • The 7 challenges created by seasonal demand swings
  • The additional challenge of special inventory
  • The specific Infoplus features that helped Allen Brothers meet these challenges
  • The benefits of real time data and strict lot control