“We’ve improved our turnaround to stores, from receiving and ordering to having it pulled and ready to go, probably by 40%.”
-Aaron Price, Home Depot Account Manger, Rambo 1
Introduction.
Rambo 1 was established in 1983 with one 150 sq. ft. greenhouse where Sam Rambo and his family grew annuals and perennials for local landscapers. One fateful visit from a Home Depot buyer was the beginning of a 20-year relationship as their exclusive vendor for 54 stores in Georgia and Alabama. Today, Rambo operates within 150 miles of each store location, providing the latest trends in locally grown plants, with over a million square feet of greenhouse space and over 100 acres of outside production space.
The Solution.
Sam Rambo’s philosophy is all about real people in stores seeing the stock and ordering manually. SBI gave him a solution that reflects that philosophy. First, we made the weekly availability process fast and simple. What used to take all week to accomplish now took a fraction of the time so it could be done 3 times a week if need be, and what was on paper is now mobile.
54
Exclusive Vendors
[Operating within 150 miles of each location]
The Issue.
Merchandisers would call, email, or fax in each order and they would be picked individually. Identifying necessary improvements in the ordering and racking processes, Rambo needed a nimble software solution that could easily manage orders and racking at any stage of fulfillment.
2
Growing Locations
[Located in Dallas, Ringgold, and Cedartown, GA]
1,000,000
Square Feet
[Outdoor production space in three locations]
Remote Order Entry.
Using SBI’s Remote Order Entry app, Rambo could take advantage of real-time inventory. Reps running SBI software on Home Depot computers place orders based on current available stock. With access to global availability for Rambo products, Home Depot reps can order in shelf quantities and full rack implements without having to consider which grow site would be tapped. Not only did Rambo eliminate inventory blindness, they also obtained complete rack visibility. With SBI’s Master Pick app, Rambo could pick from a mass spread of the day’s orders, using that time to virtually build loads before product arrived at the dock for racking. The efficiency gains for group orders are huge when using automated cross-docking, splitting orders, and inventory transfer. Reps can now write orders to maximize rack efficiency.
Loading, taking over 90 minutes on average to complete, was an involved operation that had to be shortened. With UPC-based scanning apps and detailed rack labels, Rambo went from pick to load in under 50 minutes. Handling any vendor barcode, SBI’s Inventory Control and Rack Scanning Order Fulfillment apps automatically associated Rambo products, saving time without needing custom retail barcodes. Working closely throughout each stage of software implementation, both Rambo and SBI teams continue to conquer issues together and refine operating processes, becoming more efficient year over year.