U.S. consumer goods manufacturer CSS Industries opts for SCM software "Made in Germany". Supply chain digitized in just three months.

New York/Bochum - In August, U.S.-based CSS Industries launched Setlog´s supply chain software Osca SCM. After a three-month implementation, the Pennsylvania-based consumer products company will in future manage all order management and transport processes with the German software company's web-based system. The aim of the software roll-out is to make order planning and coordination transparent and flexible. Above all, communication via e-mail and Excel lists is to be replaced by a central communication and data platform for all suppliers. 

The CSS range of the manufacturer is mainly produced in Asia and Mexico. Suppliers deliver the goods by sea or air freight and in the USA and Mexico by truck to around 60 warehouse locations around the globe. CSS transmits all orders from its own ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system via Osca to the suppliers' production factories. Starting with the order purchase and storage of necessary documents to delivery of the goods at the central warehouses, all supply chain partners communicate via the SCM platform.

Delivery dates, quantities and means of transport can be agreed during the planning and production phase. Delays or process changes, such as delayed container transport or missing documents, automatically trigger a message to all parties involved.

As a special feature, Setlog has realized a container load optimization for CSS. Like the well-known Tetris game, this enables CSS suppliers to bundle a virtual container. In addition, a so-called consolidator optimizes all virtually packed containers across all suppliers before the real transport in order to keep the empty runs as low as possible.   

Among other things, a comprehensive reporting analyses production and freight costs, throughput times, adherence to delivery dates or utilization of freight containers and provides information on the delivery performance of shipowners and suppliers.