Good Nutrition, Good Supply Chain

Supply Chain Manufacturing & Logistics

Deb Navas, Editor at Large
May 15, 2004

A new WMS and ERP assures the highest quality production and distribution of nutritional supplements.

Project Profile… Standard Process Inc. ... Palmyra, Wis.
Manufactures whole food nutritional supplements
Objective: To maximize space efficiencies and reduce raw materials safety stock
System Integrator: ZR Data, Cincinnati, Ohio

Good nutrition is the basis of good health, which some have realized earlier than others. Before most people knew the meaning of the word “vitamin,” Standard Process Inc. of Palmyra, Wis., dedicated itself to a whole food philosophy and nutrition preservation. Dr. Royal Lee—a visionary and dentist by trade—began manufacturing concentrated nutritional supplements 75 years ago. “He began looking into poor diet as a cause of tooth decay and studied the beneficial effects of good nutrition,” according to Scott Anderson, Standard Process’s plant manager. Today Standard Process ships 600 to 700 orders for nutritional supplements per day to some 20,000 US healthcare professionals, who include doctors, nutritionists, chiropractors, and nurse practitioners.

On the manufacturing end, the company uses state-of-the-art equipment such as tablet and capsule machines, as well as a stringent quality-control process that involves sampling and testing all product ingredients.

PROBLEM - A paper-based WMS that caused space allocation inerficiencies and high levels of safety stock.

SOLUTION - A new automated WMS, pick-to-light, and ship system.