Bison Bag, a flexible plastic packaging company based in Lockport, New York, has been delivering top-notch packaging solutions for over 50 years. As a leader in the value-added flexible packaging industry, Bison Bag operates four printing presses, two laminators, three slitters, and other converting equipment.
Known for producing a wide variety of custom-printed plastic bags, pouches, and rollstock, Bison Bag excels in both traditional and innovative packaging solutions. Their dedication to quality and efficiency is evident in their strategic use of flexographic printing technology and advanced inventory management systems.
The Path to Smart Inventory Control with RFID Technology
Bison Bag has enjoyed a strong partnership with Anderson & Vreeland for over 13 years, relying on them for essential supplies like 3M Mounting Tapes, End Seals, Doctor Blades, and other consumables. When Anderson & Vreeland introduced their innovative RFID Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI) solution, Bison Bag was quick to recognize its potential. This technology allows Anderson & Vreeland to monitor Bison Bag’s inventory needs using Cloudflow data management and historical inventory trends.
In September 2020, Bison Bag implemented RFID technology to manage its inventory. According to Steve Mead, Printing Supervisor at Bison Bag, this technology significantly simplified their inventory management process. “We used to handle inventory manually by printing lists, checking items weekly, and emailing A&V with what we needed.
With RFID technology, A&V automatically runs a report and sees what we need based on our inventory levels,” Steve explains. This new workflow has reduced transaction costs, eliminated unnecessary spending, and increased inventory efficiency.
RFID Technology: Ease of Use
The RFID software’s reporting module provides Bison Bag with real-time inventory status updates. This capability helps them manage inventory levels more effectively, reduce shipping costs through combined shipments, free up warehouse space, and focus more on their core business needs.
“The key benefit of RFID is that it’s an automated system, not reliant on any one person. Even if I’m not here or busy, inventory management continues seamlessly. I don’t have to worry about running out of supplies,” says Steve. The A&V system uses IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) technology to fully automate the client’s transaction costs, yielding a significant return on investment by reducing labor and administrative costs, decreasing stockouts, and optimizing fulfillment.
The software continuously reads the RFID tags to provide real-time inventory analysis, allowing Steve to track consumable usage daily, weekly, and monthly. He can also adjust the minimum and maximum quantities for each item based on Bison’s production schedule, enabling accurate forecasting with Anderson & Vreeland to meet future business needs ahead of time.
Robert Feyre, Account Manager at A&V, states, “To compete successfully in today’s fast-paced flexographic industry, you must achieve the highest degree of inventory accuracy. To maximize profits, you must eliminate stock-outs, cut unnecessary spending, and reduce the time spent on inventory counts and receiving. At Anderson & Vreeland, we help you achieve this so you can focus on what you do best.”
Continued Partnership With A&V
Bison Bag continues to stay on the cutting edge thanks to Anderson & Vreeland. “Anything new that A&V knows about in the market, they’ll let us know. It may or may not work for us, but it’s great to know they bring these products to our attention so we can try them out,” says Steve. With the latest RFID technology, Bison Bag has streamlined their processes and operations, becoming more efficient and productive.
Bison Bag has been a valued partner of Anderson & Vreeland for many years, and we look forward to continuing our close collaboration to optimize their workflow.
