In the pipeline

McLane directs traffic with Retalix
McLane Co., Inc., one of the world’s largest foodservice distributors and grocery wholesalers, will implement the Retalix Traffic Man­agement solution at 19 grocery distribution centers across the country.

Founded as a small retail grocery store in 1894, today Temple, Texas-based McLane is recognized as a global leader in distribution and logistics, delivering more than 10 billion pounds of consumer products per year to more than 60,000 locations.

Orders are imported into the system and automatically analyzed for cost-saving and revenue-producing opportunities. McLane will deploy Retalix Traffic Management with an integrated Retalix Web Tendering module that enables users to access the company’s community of carriers via the Internet to obtain best rates and services for transporting goods into their facilities.

Retalix Traffic Management also includes carrier and vendor collaboration tools that save time and help users find new income-generating backhauls while improving critical performance metrics. The application also provides real-time insight into data such as PO status, load status, supplier locations and allowances, dock appointments at receiving warehouses and other critical information.

For more information, visit www.retailix.com.

Monitoring temperatures wirelessly
Orlando, Fla.-based PakSense, Inc. unveiled a wireless version of its award-winning temperature monitoring label. The PakSense Ultra Wireless Label will enable users to wirelessly download time and temperature information and analyze data before unloading a perishable product from a container.

PakSense Ultra Wireless Labels are activated and applied to product or product packaging before shipping. At any point during distribution, the PakSense Ultra Wireless Reader can collect data from any label within a 300-foot line of sight range or approximately 60-foot obstructed range with the simple touch of a button. Time and temperature data can be examined on the screen of the Ultra Wireless Reader immediately after download, which improves reaction times and helps users make quick decisions on product quality. Detailed information from the reader, including temperature alert notifications, can then be downloaded to a PC for emailing and permanent storage.

PakSense Ultra Wireless Labels are flat, about the size of a credit card, and are encased in waterproof food-grade packaging. Environmentally friendly, they take up less space, have a lower carbon footprint than competing products, and can be easily returned to PakSense for recycling. The labels can also be used to monitor cold cases in retail stores.

“We focused on making this product easy to use,” says David Light, CEO at PakSense. “There are no repeaters, gateways or other costly infrastructure investments required. We believe this uncomplicated approach will resonate with our customers.”
For more information, visit www.paksense.com.

Bigger distribution for Big Y
Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y Foods recently completed the expansion of  its distribution center in Chicopee, Mass. Storage capacity was doubled by adding an additional 100,000 square feet of warehouse racking providing 450 bays and 4,692 pallet positions for storage of more than 1,500 Big Y branded items, plus some national brand and seasonal product for distribution to almost 60 retail stores within Massachusetts and Connecticut.

This 200,000-square-foot building was originally built as a Styrofoam manufacturing facility in 1982. Later, using State of Massachusetts’ Brownfield’s incentives, it was converted to warehouse space by another retailer for a short period of time and then abandoned. Big Y picked up the space in order to expand their distribution services in 2003. This expansion adds to the chain’s self distribution which already operates another facility at 151 Cottage St. in Springfield. That 163,000-square-foot facility distributes all fresh produce, floral, candy, light bulbs, spices, deli, food service, fresh dairy, and fresh seafood for all of the chain’s retail formats.

Both distribution centers operate 24/7 with a combined staff of almost 150 employees. In fact, within a year, Big Y Distribution Services trucks logged close to 2 million miles in order to distribute 13 million cases of product by making close to 19,000 deliveries to the retail stores.