The Challenge
Before partnering with Amerisan, Precision Blend, a mid-sized food ingredient processor supplying premium flavors, colors and specialty packaging to major food manufacturers across the US. faced common but inventory management challenges:
- Time-Consuming Manual Checks: Staff spent time each week manually counting and tracking critical consumables—PPE, sanitation supplies, and can liners
- Multiple Vendors: Managing multiple suppliers meant multiple purchase orders, each requiring separate processing, receiving, and payment
- Invisible Costs: Overstocking from vendors, or stockouts triggering emergency orders with rush fees
- Production Risk: Running out of critical supplies during peak production could halt operations entirely
The Solution
Precision Blend partnered with Amerisan to implement Stock-X Client Assisted Inventory (CAI)—an inventory management program designed for our food processing partners.
How Stock-X CAI Works:
- Our team will conduct regular facility visits to assess current inventory and usage trends
- Critical supplies are monitored, counted, and restocked with the client's final approval
- Single consolidated vendor relationship replaces multiple supplier touchpoints
- Customized replenishment suggestions based on your production schedule and seasonal demands.
- Items are always in stock. Never pay rush fees to get stock to your plant
- Detailed quotes delivered within 60 minutes of assessment
Our rep is responsive and well versed in the food industry, the customer service is second to none, deliveries happen within a day (most products), and the value added of the CAI program allows me to worry about production and plant issues & not stock of these products.
The Results
Time Savings:
- 5 hours saved per month on manual inventory checks
- 60 hours saved annually that production staff can redirect to core operations
Cost Reduction:
- $125 saved per purchase order by consolidating vendors (includes administrative processing, receiving time, shipping costs, and accounts payable handling)
- 5 fewer POs per week = 260 fewer POs annually
- $32,500 total annual savings from procurement efficiency alone
Unmeasurable but Critical Risk Reduction:
- Eliminated overstock costs: No more paying for excessive inventory
- Eliminated emergency rush fees: No more overnight shipping charges or production delays
- Production secured: Stock-X CAI ensures critical supplies are always stocked when you need them
- Peace of mind: Reduced risk of costly production shutdowns due to supply issues
