R & L Slaughter Ltd

A tailored service for R & L Slaughter Ltd

 

The Company:

Founded in 1956 by Reg and Lily Slaughter, this family owned business has built its reputation over the years on being  customer focused and offering a quality service. The Company moved to its new location in Basildon, Essex, close to London, and adjacent to the main motorway network, in 2017.

R & L Slaughter Ltd is the major independent laboratory supplier in the south east of England. Their business has been built on excellent customer service combined with a strong group of supplier partners and a good understanding of the needs of their marketplace. Deliveries are made using their own transport, supplemented by next day carrier, where necessary.

Situated close to London and the Research city of Cambridge, they are a major supplier to Universities, Hospitals and  Medical Schools in the South East. R & L Slaughter Ltd. also supply many of the life and natural science based industries, from petrochemical and food companies to electronics and general engineering, with their laboratory and quality control requirements.

The Need:

R & L Slaughter’s warehouse operations relied on an in-house developed program that required a fully supported system. They were working with non-live data, and the existing ERP system did not support multi-bin functionality. Additionally, drivers were using a paper-based system for Proof of Delivery (POD).

The Solution:

R & L Slaughter implemented a Warehouse Management System (Bridge WMS) that provided fully traceable, paperless picking processes. QR codes were generated upon product receipt, and a multi-bin stock system was introduced. Delivery notes now include the number of packages and batch/expiry details, if applicable. Drivers use scanners to record loading and delivery details, with real-time updates in the Bridge WMS.

The Benefits:

  • Batch Traceability: Enhanced tracking of product batches
  • Imporved Stock Taking: More accurate inventory managment
  • Picking Accuracy: Reduced errors in order picking
  • Real-Time POD: Immediate updates n delivery status

Following the successful implementation of Bridge WMS, R & L Slaughter partnered with MJM to develop an improved purchasing system, the Material Requirements Planning Manager (MRPM). Previously, R & L Slaughter used an in-house system. MRPM allows them to raise purchase orders based on sales order data, minimum stock levels, and economic order quantities, producing a suggested reorder quantity. Once a pending order is placed, ERP is updated. MRPM also monitors and controls supplier pricing.

Acknowledgements:

‘Bridge WMS has fundamentally transformed our company operations. Improvements include picking and packing process, real time POD, and MRPM. The software is well supported by MJM’ – Mike Pinkney – R & L Slaughter Ltd