Spartan Stores Deploys New On-Line Appointment Scheduling
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Spartan Stores, the nation's tenth-largest grocer here, has gone live on One Network's appointment scheduling solution, joining such other retailers as Kroger, Safeway, Food Lion, and Hannaford Bros.
Spartan said it chose One Network because its advanced and widely used network delivers precision execution across a multicompany transportation process, spanning the supplier, carrier, procurement, transportation and distribution organizations, permitting lower operating costs, and creating an integrated demand-driven logistics environment.
"Our vision is to integrate our supply chain processes from vendor to store," said Spartan director of supply chain management Lachlan McKinnon in a statement. "One Network allows us to bridge the visibility information gap between our internal business units, vendors, and carriers. One Network allows us to automate our traditional labor-intensive appointment scheduling process while providing greater visibility to inbound order flows into Spartan Stores distribution centers."
Due to One Network's network-based model, Spartan was able to realize a rapid deployment cycle: The system went live in less than 45 days, followed by quantifiable and immediate results. "We recognized the advantage of One Network's expansive vendor and carrier community," continued McKinnon. "From day one, vendors and carriers were able to schedule our appointments online without training or interaction from Spartan Stores. This greatly expedited our deployment and required less overhead than a traditional internally hosted approach."
Spartan Stores has warehouse facilities in Grand Rapids and Plymouth, Mich. that distribute more than 40,000 private label and national brand products to 330 independent grocery stores in that state. The company additionally owns and operates 54 retail supermarkets and 19 deep-discount drug stores in Michigan and Ohio, among them Family Fare Supermarkets, Glen's Markets, and The Pharm.
Spartan said it chose One Network because its advanced and widely used network delivers precision execution across a multicompany transportation process, spanning the supplier, carrier, procurement, transportation and distribution organizations, permitting lower operating costs, and creating an integrated demand-driven logistics environment.
"Our vision is to integrate our supply chain processes from vendor to store," said Spartan director of supply chain management Lachlan McKinnon in a statement. "One Network allows us to bridge the visibility information gap between our internal business units, vendors, and carriers. One Network allows us to automate our traditional labor-intensive appointment scheduling process while providing greater visibility to inbound order flows into Spartan Stores distribution centers."
Due to One Network's network-based model, Spartan was able to realize a rapid deployment cycle: The system went live in less than 45 days, followed by quantifiable and immediate results. "We recognized the advantage of One Network's expansive vendor and carrier community," continued McKinnon. "From day one, vendors and carriers were able to schedule our appointments online without training or interaction from Spartan Stores. This greatly expedited our deployment and required less overhead than a traditional internally hosted approach."
Spartan Stores has warehouse facilities in Grand Rapids and Plymouth, Mich. that distribute more than 40,000 private label and national brand products to 330 independent grocery stores in that state. The company additionally owns and operates 54 retail supermarkets and 19 deep-discount drug stores in Michigan and Ohio, among them Family Fare Supermarkets, Glen's Markets, and The Pharm.