All processes in one system

Posch unifies separate software systems for recipe management, frozen storage and wholesale trade

Posch, based in Aßling in Upper Bavaria, is a medium-sized, family-run company. The full-range supplier of butcher’s specialties considers itself a pioneer in puff pastry, snack and turkey specialties. 1,000 customers choose from around 4,000 products, while 13 multi-compartment refrigerated and freezer trucks are on the road. The winweb-food ERP system supports Posch throughout the entire process chain, from inbound deliveries in purchasing to the customer.

Helmut Posch senior was already developing turkey products 25 years ago, and these items are still among the bestsellers in the product range today. The pioneering spirit behind products offering a high degree of convenience paid off and enabled the company to grow: When it moved into its premises in the Aßling industrial estate in 1985, it had just twelve employees, but by 2010 135 employees were already ensuring high quality and fresh ideas. Milestones in technical equipment along the way included warehouse management with wireless scanners in 2006 and the first certification under the „International Food-Standard“ (IFS) one year later.

Selection process

A new enterprise resource planning system was introduced a year ago.
To find the right software partner, Richard Posch opted for a multi-stage selection process involving several software companies: “Security comes first. An IT decision is highly sensitive because an ERP system affects and interconnects every area of the business.” Winweb Informationstechnologie GmbH was selected for both technical and structural reasons. A key technical factor was that the Aldenhoven-based company offers straightforward solutions and is a medium-sized software provider. At Posch, close collaboration with many medium-sized suppliers and customers is seen as the basis for success.

The initial situation was characterized by separate software systems for recipe management, frozen storage and wholesale operations. The goal was to eliminate the existing isolated solutions and introduce new ERP software that integrates all processes into a single system.

Process reliability and time savings

Winweb offers a complete system that is continuously enhanced and also has many years of experience in the wholesale trade. Richard Posch emphasizes that this is also reflected in superior technology compared with competitors in the market. One example is the ability to present the traceability of a product more quickly and effectively than other providers. IT manager Gerhard Karl describes a particular technical challenge: „Our products and customers involve an enormous degree of complexity.“ Items are purchased for resale, but at the same time they are also raw materials for production. The flexibility required to meet individual customer requirements results in highly complex product-and customer master data.
Following the decision to invest in winweb-food, the master data was transferred from the pre-existing systems. Given the complexity of the master data, even the data transfer went smoothly. In some cases, follow-up work was required, for example regarding the pricing method, price units and delivery units. To be certain, every item was then checked once on screen – everything was correct.
The new system saves time, for example during order entry, because sales staff can now see more quickly and clearly on screen what the customer has purchased in the past. This improved overview enables additional recommendations, which are just as important in telephone sales as in sales at the counter. Other key components of integrated information processing include mobile data collection using handheld data collection devices in goods receiving and order picking, as well as dynamic warehouse location management.

Project implementation and service

When introducing a new ERP system, the setup and training requirements always vary from company to company. The system is used throughout the company and must therefore be used and ultimately accepted by many employees. The necessary setup tasks were demonstrated step by step in the system and largely carried out directly by the future users. By dispensing with instructor-led training in favor of direct interaction with the system, subsequent independent use is easier. In addition to the on-site setup and training, the Winweb support team is also available by phone to answer any questions. Ongoing customer support and the installation of updates and patches are also handled by the support team. Particularly when questions arise during system setup, this is a useful complement to on-site appointments, as topics can quickly be reviewed over the phone. Gerhard Karl also likes to use „TeamViewer“ for remote system maintenance. This allows a Winweb employee to connect remotely to any workstation at Posch, adjust settings and provide assistance directly on the user’s PC without being on site.

Richard Posch GmbH

- 125 employees, EUR 25 million in revenue

- Specialist wholesaler for fresh and deep-frozen foods, full-range supplier of butchery supplies

- Producer of frozen specialties, specializing in dough-based products and turkey products