Pacific Dairy Centre Ltd

Background

Established in 1990, Pacific Dairy Centre Ltd has been providing equipment and on-site service to dairy farmers across the BC Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island, and wider Canadian West Coast area for almost 35 years. Pacific Dairy is dedicated to offering its clients a one-stop-shop for dairy farm equipment and associated items along with “white-glove” service to meet the operational needs of dairy farmers.

Modernizing Systems to Manage a Massive Inventory

One of the core motivators for Pacific Dairy pursuing digital transformation through the implementation of Dynamics 365 Business Central was to more effectively and efficiently manage, track, and analyze the company’s massive inventory of approximately 16,000 unique items across multiple locations within their 30,000 square foot warehouse as well as on their 13 mobile service vehicles. “We were using pencil and paper: truck one taking part 10 and going to customer 40, all tracked by paper in the past,” says Chris Denis, General Manager for Pacific Dairy Centre Ltd. “Now, we know that part one could be in three or four different locations. Now, we don't necessarily take it from where we know it is, we take it from the location that is closest to where it's needed. That has been a huge game changer.”

This modernization has also improved Pacific Dairy’s invoicing thanks to the standardization and digitization of previously handwritten documents. “For invoicing, one of the biggest improvements is legibility,” says Chris. “We've outfitted all our service techs with tablets and scanners. Basically, they scan a part out, which includes the description and part number, and we can actually read the writing versus someone trying to interpret the hand written scribble after a technician has completed a manure system repair… it has really improved efficiency.”

Pursuing More Hands-On Support and a Strategic Partnership with a Trusted Provider

Another deciding factor for Pacific Dairy in choosing to work with Kwixand Solutions was the ability to have in-person meetings due to the close proximity of the two BC-based companies and Kwixand’s dedication to providing personalized service. “We can leverage the power of technology, but it's still people using it the matters. Kwixand coming in person and seeing how we all work, was really a key to the success of this project” says Chris. “It's easy to say we need an inventory system, but they needed to understand the 30,000 square feet and how it's laid out, and we did a walkthrough so they could understand the facility and the business we are in.”

In addition to Kwixand’s dedication to providing personalized on-site assistance, Pacific Dairy also found the expertise of the Kwixand financial and inventory management specialists to be invaluable. Chris states: “Their understanding of the accounting, and financial tracking responsibility component, combined with the practical need to find the part and where it needs to be, was critical.”

Saving Money with Improved Inventory Tracking, Right-Sizing, and Strategic Purchasing

One of the most substantial changes that has come about as a result of Pacific Dairy implementing a modern inventory management system, is the ability to right-size their inventory. “Some of the parts may be very expensive 'mission critical' parts that we would need to have one of at all times, but it is only used every few years,” says Chris. “You must have that thing in stock because if that part breaks on a farm, you can't ask the cows to wait to be milked. You need to have one of those, but not five. On the other hand you might need to have 100 of something that you go through on a daily basis. Now, we can analyze it properly.” This improved traceability and analyzation of inventory items doesn’t just make for more efficient operations, it also saves money. “Knowing where things are and how much we have is vital to saving money,” continues Chris. “We're saving money on fuel. We're saving money on time, which, in essence, saves money for the customer.”

On top of saving money by improving operational efficiency through real-time inventory tracking and enhanced analysis, Pacific Dairy has also been able to use their new system to take advantage of favorable pricing opportunities. “We import a lot, and monitor currencies and exchanges,” says Chris. “When I know that the Canadian dollar is favorable to buying US products, maybe we take advantage of buying that. Know in real time how much we have on hand makes those decisions much easier.”

Experiencing the Difference of Working with a Dedicated Solutions Partner

Chris offered high praise for the responsiveness and personalized attention delivered by Kwixand Solutions: “What was key was that Kwixand was in Chilliwack. We had access to in person meetings, if we needed. And [they] took the time to come and see the facility and meet our teams… What I appreciated about Kwixand is they really understood the nuance of the traditions and the position of the agricultural dairy industry.”

“We're very thankful for and happy to work with Kwixand Solutions. Having somebody local, especially in the IT world, is invaluable to us. Knowing that I've got somebody that I can pick up the phone say, ‘Hey, listen, you know what? We need you here now.’ I would just say, the personal touch in a very fast-paced, rapidly changing environment is really good for small business.”