Knowledge is Everything Knowing where something is and how many are there is the heart of Logistics. When you trust your goods to a third party you believe that they will have this at the core of their operation. At PMA we deal with a huge range of product of all different shapes and sizes and infinitely variable uses. Being specialists in Marketing and Point of Sales material we need to go beyond product codes and descriptions to properly identify some things. PMA warehouse staff need to know not only what a product is called but what it looks like. This is why we believe “Image is everything” and in this case we mean the image of the product in our database. In developing Ares, our new warehouse receipting system the PMA IT team had to take all these criteria into account and develop a true market leading tool. This included a database tool that would capture all the information needed combined with hardware that was capable of the task and rugged enough to survive. The third piece of the puzzle was full integration with all other database functions and business processes. As nothing was available off the shelf only a custom solution could deliver. To make the system truly flexible our IT team avoided WiFi networking and went for a 4G mobile solution. As well as avoiding data blackspots in the warehouse we become truly flexible in our ability to expand roll out to all our sites. Utilising an Android device we were able to develop tools in house that will be able to continue life well beyond the current generation of hardware solutions. Tracking items through the process is done with barcode labels from small Bluetooth thermal printers carried by team members. The resulting system has delivered on all fronts, we are now able to provide full traceability of product right from the point of delivery, record and upload images where none exist and get items to live status for ordering in much less time. With the concurrent introduction of the Inwards Delivery Advice process our receipting accuracy has also reached an all-time high.
PMA goes B-I-G in Large Format Printing
WG&SA Shares a Dram with PMA While most traditional print areas are either static or reducing (for example, forms, envelopes, letterheads), Large / Wide format print categories are experiencing big growth. The number of specialist large format printers in PMA markets continues to grow based on our client demands. Further, offset sheet-fed printers are starting to move into large format print capability through the acquisition of new equipment to service this booming sector. Large / Wide format products include signage; point of sale displays; window and floor graphics; banners and posters; mesh; fabrics; vehicle wraps; exhibition stands; marquees; and the list goes on. PMA handles this entire sourcing set with ease. Large format press equipment is typically either “roll-to-roll” which involves a continuous roll of substrate being printed on, or “flat-bed” which has a large print head (or series of heads) that move over and print on a rigid substrate sheet (for example, board, metal, timber). It is the huge array of equipment and substrate capabilities that really determine who can print what. The supplier market is fiercely competitive and PMA is well placed to take advantage of this expanding competition for our client requirements. PMA’s huge supplier firepower locally and internationally across Large / Wide format print segments provides our clients with a suite of supplier options and greater product and cost benefits in this growing print sourcing space! Time is Money. Don’t Wait. Contact PMA today!
WG&SA Shares a Dram with PMA
WG&SA Shares a Dram with PMA After a three month process where PMA responded to a request for tender for Warehousing, Distribution and fulfillment Services to William Grant & Sons Australia (WG&SA), hosted a presentation and provided a site tour of our Erskine Park Facility and then had one final presentation detailing the transparent reporting suite that is possible in a relationship with PMA, the WGS team awarded the contract to PMA Global on 28th Oct. Responsible for the Australian distribution and management of well-known brands like Grants, Glenfiddich, Hendricks and Sailor Jerry amongst others, the team at WGS indicated that PMA had not only responded to the brief in full, but also were able to demonstrate through systems, the reporting suite, our experience, scale and a perfect cultural fit, that our pitch was the standout amongst the tenders received. With implementation in process with stock inbound for receipt prior to Christmas and the contract also ready for execution the PMA and WG&SA teams are excited and ready to hit the ground running in 2020 not only in storage, distribution and fulfillment but also with opportunities to source product to support the WG&SA brands in the Australian market. PMA continues to be at the forefront of warehousing and distribution for the beverage industry!