Tracking Down Millions in Lost Tray Costs

It’s an issue the baking industry has struggled with for years – what happens to all those trays?

Alpha Baking was well aware of the millions of dollars lost from thousands of missing trays. Alpha Baking’s IT team had an idea that involved using their handheld system to fix it. “When we first went to AFS with this tray tracking idea, we knew the results we wanted from it, but we weren’t exactly sure how to put it into the handheld,” said Jill Thornberg, Director of IT at Alpha Baking.

After several iterations, Alpha Baking got what it was looking for. “We now have a detailed analysis that tells us exactly where the trays went, to which stops, and how many came back. We have all kinds of reports that we’re doing that show some huge discrepancies,” states Thornberg. “AFS DSD really worked with us.”

Tracking trays isn’t the only use for the AFS DSD software. Alpha Baking uses the AFS DSD Mobile solution for daily communication and product delivery on more than 300 store routes. Data is pushed from its ERP system to a main server. Every night handheld devices automatically pull updates from the server. Data is backed up on storage cards in case of any problems or crashes. During the night, drivers pick up their handheld loaded with the day’s data.

AFS DSD Mobile solution is then used throughout the day as the drivers deliver product to thousands of customers. After completing deliveries and returning to the warehouse, drivers simply put the handheld in its cradle and the data is automatically pushed back into the system. “Sending orders to the handhelds is always a big timing issue. AFS understands our business.They know we need data in a timely manner with the ability to build downloads up to the last minute and get those routes on the street,” noted Thornberg.