Waitrose goes live with new warehouse ordering from Aldata

Aldata Solution, a global leader in retail and distribution improvement software, has announced that Waitrose, the fastest growing grocery retailer in the UK, has now gone live with the updated ordering system for its frozen warehouses. Waitrose is now using the Aldata system to calculate, optimise and manage supplier orders to replenish its frozen warehouse, enabling the retailer to adapt to its new multi-channel environment, maintain high availability and low inventory, whilst delivering excellent levels of customer service.

Waitrose has 241 shops across the UK, employs over 44,000 people, and has its own online ordering service for products which can then be collected in-store or delivered, as well as selling products through partnerships with Welcome Break Motorway Service Stations and Boots. The project, which commenced at the start of the year, has seen a rapid turnaround and Waitrose has increased the efficiency with which suppliers deliver to its warehouse and its branches are stocked.

“We knew that this was an ambitious project, but we’re pleased to have seen it through to successful completion,” said Liz Gemmill, Head of Supply Chain Operations at Waitrose. “The design of Aldata’s solution allowed us to integrate with our existing systems effectively within the necessary timeframe. We employed third-party testers to supplement the team and were very happy with the quality of the Aldata software which allowed testing to be completed very quickly. Results so far have been very encouraging, with most orders being left unchanged and we are achieving an excellent balance between high availability and low inventory levels. The time taken to review orders has halved.”

The Implementation phase of project began in January 2010, with the first warehouse going live for two suppliers in September 2010 and the roll-out for remaining suppliers being completed for end of October. Waitrose has already begun preparing to rollout the system in its ambient warehouses, and in the future, will be looking to implement Aldata in fresh and bonded warehouses, covering its entire warehouse estate.

Allan Davies, Chief Marketing Officer for Aldata commented: “Maintaining customer satisfaction in the multi-channel age is a great challenge for grocery retailers, and optimising the supply chain and warehouse environment underpins all of this. We’re very pleased to have helped Waitrose to support its evolving strategy and stay at the forefront of customer service and quality.”