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Houweling’s Yields More Efficiency with Upgrade to AX and RF-SMART
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
- Functional Applications - Inventory Management Systems
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
Applicable Industries
- Agriculture
- Food & Beverage
Applicable Functions
- Warehouse & Inventory Management
- Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Supply Chain Visibility
- Predictive Maintenance
Services
- System Integration
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- Testing & Certification
The Challenge
With continued growth since implementing Dynamics AX 2009, Houweling’s set their sights on achieving more direct sales. To accomplish this, they needed to bring distribution operations in-house. The goal was to establish direct relationships with the buyers rather than going through a third party for delivery to customers. To achieve their business objectives, Houweling’s recognized the need to improve processes, move away from a dependency on paper, and achieve real-time visibility. It became evident that the only way to accomplish this was through the implementation of automated data collection. The company reviewed a number of automated data solutions, selecting a lower-cost competitor to RF-SMART. Unfortunately for Houweling’s, the results of this alternate solution did not deliver dependable functionality. Experiencing software crashes on a regular basis resulted in increased labor hours and a determination that the selected solution was not achieving their objectives.
About The Customer
Houweling’s Tomatoes is a privately owned company that produces hydroponically grown tomatoes and cucumbers year-round. It was founded in 1956 and is now a leading producer of hydroponically grown non-GMO tomatoes in North America. Houweling’s operates more than 200 acres between its three sites in California, Utah, and British Columbia. The company is known for its commitment to sustainable agriculture and innovation in the field of hydroponics. With a focus on quality and efficiency, Houweling’s has become a significant player in the North American market, supplying fresh produce to a wide range of customers.
The Solution
Houweling’s quickly saw their need to implement a proven mobile solution. Houweling’s called RF-SMART, a Certified for Microsoft Dynamics (CfMD) provider of automated data collection used by over 300 AX customers across the world, and were up and running within two weeks. Through the implementation of RF-SMART’s automated data collection, Houweling’s achieved their operational goals and have significantly increased their speed of operation, quality, and accuracy. For the first time, Houweling’s has real-time visibility into their processes, has eliminated double-handling of data, and decreased their dependency on paper. The increased efficiency with RF-SMART lent time for Houweling’s Director of IT Linton Clarke to examine other areas of their business and realign corporate goals. A major project to further their growth was upgrading from Dynamics AX 2009 to AX 2012, which was so successful it let Houweling’s expand to its third site. Along with their AX upgrade, Houweling’s upgraded to RF-SMART for AX 2012.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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