Improving the level of service is one of the most important indicators in the supply chain. That is why our new customer, Zona Franca de Iquique (ZOFRI), decided to start improving this indicator with a World Class tool such as Infor WMS, we tell you about it.
About this logistics operator
The Iquique Free Trade Zone, located in the north of Chile, is a service platform to market and facilitate business in the southern cone of Latin America. With almost 5 decades of operation (48 years), it is a special area within the Chilean territory that has a special tax and customs regime, which allows the import, export, storage, and marketing of goods with tax and customs benefits. It has the knowledge and experience to provide its customers, both wholesalers, and retailers, with the best combination of factors, processes, and solutions to meet their needs.
The ZOFRI has more than 2 thousand companies operating in it, from different countries, which has led it to become one of the most important centers of trade and industry in South America, with a wide variety of items available such as electronics, automotive, textiles, household goods, and household items, among many others.
Its extension and the enormous number of companies that operate in the region contribute more than 45 thousand sources of labor (direct and indirect) for the region where it is developed.
Its operation has 5 business areas: ZOFRI Mall, the Wholesale Business Center, Chacalluta Industrial Park in Arica, ZOFRI Business Park in Alto Hospicio, and the ZOFRI Logistics Center, the latter being the one that offers these 3PL services to customers operating under the free trade regime and who wish to outsource these functions, taking care of everything from the arrival of the goods at the Port of Iquique to their dispatch to the final destination, anywhere in the world.
Why did you realize you needed a WMS to improve your level of customer service?
A primary need was identified. In the first instance, the inventory of customers was unknown in real time due to the use of multiple warehouses for the storage of goods, therefore, having updated statuses was a time-consuming task. In addition, the input and output of goods were done manually, which decreased efficiency and led to delays in all processes.
Why did you select Infor WMS as your strategic partner?
In addition to detecting opportunities for improvement related to the logistics operation, they also identified business repercussions that mainly impacted the level of customer service. In this way, they recognized that being a top-tier logistics operator, they needed a tool in line with the organization.
Infor WMS underwent an exhaustive selection process that included a technical and strategic evaluation. Our client was looking for a solution that would be stable and scalable over time, that would be a leader in the market and that would allow them to manage the inventories of all their warehouses without any problem. Something that our client highlighted as a “real plus” is that the option to visualize the warehouse in 3D, allowed them to see a prototype of how would be the management of orders from their warehouses in real-time.
What’s coming in the future and what are your goals with the WMS?
Our new customer hopes to automate its supply chain, and Infor WMS has been the first step in its roadmap. In this first phase, the company will increase efficiency in its processes and improve response time to customers. Additionally, it will allow the company to continue developing commercial competitiveness when offering its services to companies in the Chilean market.
Zofri Quote
“We are looking to be more efficient and improve response times to customers, so we had the objective of implementing software that would be a leader in the market and that would help us to jointly manage the warehouses, spaces, and storage of the different goods of all our customers. We are a first-level company, and we know that Infor WMS is a solution that is up to our company’s standards”.
Felipe Alfaro Pizarro, Operations Assistant Manager, ZOFRI S.A.
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“We are very pleased to support such an important logistics operator as Zofri in its strategy to optimize its logistics operations. Zofri has a clear focus on customer service, and a clear vision of its strategy to optimize its service indicators and generate greater value for its customers. We will work together to implement Infor WMS in Zofri’s operations to optimize its services and support its modernization strategies.
Jose Luis Gomes, SOLA Commercial Manager.