Mission Foods and systems integration

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 9/1/2000

While last month's cover story on Mission Foods focused on the company's ability to deliver orders within 24 hours and improve productivity 700%, the importance of system integration to those gains went somewhat unheralded.

In a follow-up interview with systems integrator LB International, CEO and chairman Ted Hammond explained that Mission's goal was to create a non-warehouse where product is temporarily staged prior to shipping.

"That required us to be a systems integrator and touch all aspects of Mission's facility," said Hammond.

Beyond supplying the high-density, dynamic staging systems, his company was responsible for all project phases from initial concepting and design work (including system modeling and simulation) to purchasing all materials handling equipment and implementing the finished system.

Approximately 50% of LB International's business today is as a system integrator, said Gary Janz, vice president of marketing.

Of special importance to Mission Foods' success was the use of system modeling and simulation software.

"It's such a strong tool that it changes how a company runs its business," pointed out Jim Ogburn, LB International president and COO.

Furthermore, Mission continues to have access to the software so it can evaluate future changes to the system as its business changes.

Ultimately, the systems integrator approach, says Ogburn, has made LB a better partner with Mission Foods and other end users both during the project and later.