TLDR: Operational Software built a digital Shipments module for Batten & Allen, replacing a whiteboard and spreadsheet with a live ERP-connected workflow expected to pay for itself in around 10 months.
Problem
At Batten & Allen, shipments were managed using a whiteboard and a spreadsheet.
As customer demand and material availability changed, their despatch manager had to update a spreadsheet while ensuring that the whiteboard used by despatch operators to track packing progress stayed in sync. Understanding what was planned, what was ready to pack and what had already shipped depended heavily on one person keeping both sources current and repeatedly looking up information in the existing ERP system.
For a busy manufacturing operation, that made despatch hard to coordinate and limited visibility across the team. In the worst case, outdated information could lead to the wrong quantities being shipped or delays in responding to new demand.
A digital solution
Working closely with the despatch team, we built a complete Shipments module into Batten & Allen’s Operational Platform, which is based on Operational Core.
Operational Core provided proven foundations for role-based permissions, comments, change tracking, automation and document generation. That gave us a head start, allowing the custom development to focus on Batten & Allen’s despatch workflow and ERP integration.
The team can now create shipments by date, destination and transit method, then add sales order lines using live information from the ERP system. This supports the call-off stock workflow used with their key customers. Each shipment shows required and packed quantities, packing lanes, overall progress, outstanding order quantities and stock availability using live ERP data.
As stock is moved into or out of SHIP in the ERP system, the module automatically updates packed quantities. This removes pallet-by-pallet whiteboard updates and keeps packing progress current without duplicate data entry.
Pick lists can be generated at the click of a button using the quantity actually packed, removing manual form filling. The module also supports partial shipments, separates current work from shipment history, and provides a shared comment thread and a full change log for every shipment.
Benefit
Batten & Allen now has one shared, live view of the despatch process instead of a whiteboard and spreadsheet that have to be kept in step. With the comment threads, @-tagging and notifications provided by Operational Core, conversations about shipments now happen in real time and in the correct context.
Based on time savings across despatch management and operators, the module is expected to pay for itself in around 10 months and deliver an estimated net ROI of 260% over three years.
The wider value is greater. Clearer priorities, better coordination and up-to-date information reduce the risk of incorrect shipments and delayed responses to changing demand, while helping protect relationships with key customers.
This is more than replacing a spreadsheet with a screen. It is a traceable workflow built around how the despatch team actually works and connected directly to the wider operation.
Could a manual workflow in your operation deliver a similar return? Talk to Operational Software.