Established in 1954 and present in the mass retail sector since the 1990s, and today the leading producer of accessories and natural treats for animals in France, Riga is a company experiencing considerable growth. Boasting a wide range of products for dogs, cats, birds, rodents, fish and farmyard animals, and focused on animal well-being, Riga produces and distributes 3,000 individual products, including veterinary, hygiene and healthcare products, represented by its brand Phytosoin.
To meet the requirements of mass retail, while ensuring consistent service quality for its end customers, Riga is constantly striving to become ever more proficient with its logistics tools and processes. With its 15,000 m² (161,459 sq. ft.) logistics hub, designed in 2016, just a short distance from its headquarters in Roncq (59), the company processes, thanks to its 40 employees, the acceptance, storage, picking and shipping of its products. The warehouse can store 15,000 pallets, receives 300 per day and ships just as many to around twenty different countries.
The WMS’s adaptability is the key to operational excellence
In order to maintain its logistics performance, Riga decided, at the start of the 2000s, to rely on a long-lasting partnership with SAVOYE, an expert in logistics, by procuring SAVOYE’s warehouse management system. Riga has been able to rely on its WMS to respond to the various developments required by stakeholders in the mass retail sector, whose specifications are particularly precise. “Lots of work had to be undertaken in terms of traceability and efficiency in order picking to deliver retailers’ warehouses as best and as quickly as possible, in accordance with the rules and constraints of each customer. We had to adapt, which required some work, but the WMS and teams at SAVOYE knew exactly how to meet each one of our requirements”, pointed out Philippe Sherbourne, Deputy Logistics Manager at Riga.
Riga now processes 6,000 order lines per day, has increased its productivity, and sped up the transfer of information to its customers and has integrated kitting management features, customization of logistics units and product recalls, in order to meet their requirements as closely as possible. Today, after fifteen years of use, the company is equipping itself with a new version of the WMS: “We have used all the features offered by the WMS The tool has adapted perfectly to our needs over these last few years and will continue to do so to meet the new requirements of our customers, in particular in terms of data and traceability”, Philippe Sherbourne continued. “Over the past 15 years, relationships have been created and our partnership has strengthened, based on our shared goal of sustained improvement. In its market, Riga is renowned for its logistics excellence and we intend to support it in maintaining this status”, concluded Jérôme Jennepin, Advanced Software Sales Engineer at SAVOYE.