Waitrose goes live with new warehouse system

27 January 2011 – Waitrose has gone live with the updated ordering system for its frozen warehouses, which is set to be extended to its entire warehouse network. The retailer is using the Aldata system to calculate, optimise and manage supplier orders to replenish its warehouse, enabling the retailer to adapt to its new multi-channel environment.

The project has seen Waitrose increasee the efficiency with which suppliers deliver to its warehouse and its branches are stocked. Liz Gemmill, head of Supply Chain Operations at Waitrose, says, “The design of Aldata’s solution allowed us to integrate with our existing systems effectively within the necessary timeframe. We employed third-party testers to supplement the team. Results so far have been very encouraging, with most orders being left unchanged. The time taken to review orders has halved.”

The Implementation phase of project began in January 2010, with the first warehouse going live for two suppliers in September 2010 and the roll-out for remaining suppliers being completed for end of October. Waitrose has already begun preparing to rollout the system in its ambient warehouses, and in the future, will be looking to implement Aldata in fresh and bonded warehouses, covering its entire warehouse estate.