Primrose Candy

The Company: About Primrose Candy

Primrose Candy Company was founded by Frank and Mae Puch in 1928. Primrose manufactures primarily hard candy, chewy candies such as caramel and saltwater taffy, and popcorn confections. In addition to candy, Primrose also produces private label nutraceuticals. With over 80% of the business being derived from private label and contract manufacturing, Primrose not only has to meet its own high standards but also the scrutiny of those who put their name on the final products.

The Situation: Data Management

Primrose was previously using antiquated methods of tracking business operations in multiple sources and on various systems. Data management was entered manually requiring duplicate entry of data and increased opportunity for errors. Primrose desired real-time financial and inventory control information that would alert them when inventory was low and what items were needed to fulfill orders. The company was experiencing an increasing need for quality control measures, a scheduling system that coincided with one system, and a sound formula storage system.

The Solution: ProcessPro ERP

Primroses implemented ProcessPro Premier 10.18 in late 2009, a fully integrated and industry-specific ERP solution that afforded the company the ability to track real-time inventory, create production schedules, and measure quality control. Since then, Primrose has continued to meet its growing demands by adding additional features and performing necessary upgrades. They have been an excellent partner for beta testing of numerous future version releases.

Software Add-on Applications:

• Warehouse Management Solution (WMS)

• Business Intelligence (BI)

• CRM

• Dock Scheduling

• Advanced Scheduler

• Advanced Analytics

The Results: ProcessPro ERP Implementation Benefits

Real-time Inventory

Primrose’s hardship in being unable to effectively track inventory levels throughout the production process without pulling manual paperwork, created a necessity for a real-time physical inventory solution. With the use of ProcessPro, they are able to maintain accurate, manageable inventory levels, reducing waste and lag time. They have experienced a great improvement in operational efficiency through the use of AWS, which provides virtually error-free inventory transactions via handheld scanners.

All-Inclusive System

Primrose recognized the value of a fully integrated system that was all-inclusive. They previously utilized Microsoft® Excel for scheduling and storage of formulas and were utilizing a third-party module for their accounting needs. ProcessPro offered them a complete system, an accounting package, warehouse management, R&D, MRP, and more. ProcessPro provided a sound and secure formula storage option aiding consistency in quality.

Production Scheduling

With the dynamic of Primrose’s manufacturing process, they required a flexible scheduling system that had the ability to handle different machines, shapes, and sizes of production. ProcessPro Premier’s Advanced Scheduler feature has allotted for Primrose to schedule a batch for multiple days and multiple routes. They have experienced a dramatic reduction in errors in both workflow and shipping.

User Friendly

ProcessPro provided a system that Primrose could use out of the box without major modifications, which was a major concern for them when in the initial sales cycle. They were also concerned about the ​“user-friendly” capabilities of ProcessPro, as they kept in mind that their staff would need to adjust to the change. Primrose’s staff has been pleased with the painless transition, accessibility of support staff, and the Doc’s on Disk series that allows a user to view solutions while working in the system.

Primrose is committed to continuing its investment in ProcessPro and has been an active partner in beta testing upcoming version releases. In the future they plan to continue to fully utilize the features of WMS, providing them with a simplified interface that streamlines transactions, is flexible with label editing and customization, and further personalizes their user experience.