Digital Maturity Operational Alignment and Manufacturing Enablement
Fortrex Solutions is one of the largest sanitation services companies in the United States, sending thousands of crew members into poultry production plants, grocery stores, quick-service restaurants, and other food-related facilities every day. In 2021, Fortrex acquired Safe Foods, a chemical manufacturing business that supplied its product directly to Fortrex and many other sanitation companies.
Fortrex built their entire operation, processes, systems, people, and technology around being a services-focused business prior to acquiring Safe Foods. Safe Foods is a manufacturer with completely different needs. The two organizations were challenged to grow together. Thus, their leadership team brought in Cooperative Computing to help fully integrate and operationalize their business to build a path forward.
The Roadmap to Fortrex Solutions’ Digital Maturity Experience
Cooperative Computing conducted a full Digital Maturity Experience for Fortrex Solutions, working directly to identify the root causes behind the company’s post-acquisition struggles and map out a practical plan to fix them. The engagement followed three primary phases including the following.
- Digital Maturity Assessment
- Digital Maturity Strategy
- Digital Maturity Execution
Each phase produced specific deliverables designed to get Fortrex from where they were (current state) to their desired future state with hyper-automation and data-driven decisions.
Digital Maturity Assessment
This first phase was to map their current state understanding the following.
Organizational Capabilities: Did they have the right people in the right seats?
Methods and Procedures: Where were the gaps in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or merely people not fully understanding the steps needing to be taken to fulfill their roles and the needs of the business?
Systems and Technology: What systems and technology did they have in place to achieve their desired future state?
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Where we their KPIs aligned (or misaligned) with the organization’s goals?
In short, the two entities did not have a shared playbook. The Digital Maturity Assessment (DMA) revealed challenges in several areas negatively impacting performance and their ability to serve clients the way they expected.
The findings were consolidated into a 131-page Digital Maturity Assessment report covering organizational capabilities, methods and procedures, systems and technologies, and KPIs across both entities.
Digital Maturity Strategy
With a full picture of where Fortrex stood, Cooperative Computing work with their leadership team to map what the future state needed to look like. The strategy targeted growth and operational efficiencies pointing directly to the specific problems the assessment uncovered. In turn, they focused on these core areas for immediate impact and operational improvements.
ERP Reconfiguration for Manufacturing
The original Microsoft Dynamics 365 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation was designed and deployed for a service-oriented business with no consideration for manufacturing. Reconfiguring the system to handle production workflows, inventory tracking, demand planning, and supply chain operations was a major priority. The strategy also called for standing up a Warehouse Management System and Demand Planning within the ERP.
Standardized Processes and Workforce Readiness
They lacked documented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across the enterprise which resulted in workforce misalignment. The strategy outlined a project to document standardized processes, implement a Learning Management System, create training and onboarding programs, and put employees through certifications so they could do their jobs according to defined standards and expectations.
Inventory, Demand Planning, and Logistics
The strategy addressed a stock-out problem head-on by designing systems for better inventory visibility and demand forecasting. It also called for consolidating logistics operations, reducing the number of carriers and brokers, and implementing a Transportation Management System (TMS) to get better rates and more predictable delivery.
Digital Maturity Execution
In the execution phase, Cooperative Computing moved from planning to implementation. Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP was reconfigured to support chemical manufacturing operations. Warehouse management was also launched within the ERP, giving Fortrex its first real system for tracking how product moves through the facility.
ERP changes were made to improve inventory management and bring demand planning capabilities online, both areas where the company lacked visibility. These changes reduced the stock-out events costing Fortrex customers and damaging its reputation with major accounts.
The standardized process documentation and workforce training project was built with their Human Resources and management team to include a Learning Management System (LMS). This process also included developing training materials and creating certification programs. They were able to take what had been informal, inconsistent, person-dependent knowledge and turn it into something the organization can now teach, repeat, and measure.
Through this Digital Maturity Experience, Cooperative Computing helped Fortrex Solutions move toward the following outcomes.
Manufacturing-Ready ERP
The Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP was reconfigured from a services-only oriented implementation to one that supports chemical manufacturing, production planning, and supply chain operations, filling the gap that existed since the Safe Foods acquisition.
Warehouse Visibility
Fortrex now has a Warehouse Management System (WMS) replacing the manual, untracked process that contributed to stock-outs and fulfillment delays. They now make data-driven decisions supported by intelligent information and analytics.
Operationalized Inventory and Demand Planning
ERP improvements were implemented to give Fortrex the ability to forecast demand and manage inventory proactively, rather than reacting to stock-outs after they’ve already cost the company money (and potentially a customer).
To digitally enable your organization to become operationally efficient, reach out to Cooperative Computing and start your Digital Maturity Experience towards better outcomes and improved performance today.
