How a Frozen Food Leader
Boosted Productivity and
Decision-Making Agility with
SAP S/4HANA Implementation
Executive Summary
One of the largest frozen food distributors faced significant operational challenges in managing over 50 mobile van sales units across diverse market locations. A5E Consulting implemented an integrated SAP S/4HANA solution with warehouse management and barcode automation, enabling real-time inventory tracking and reducing workforce requirements by 66%.
Client Overview
A leading frozen food wholesaler and distributor operates 114 retail outlets, 30 storage facilities, and a fleet of over 100 vehicles. Their hybrid business model blends traditional wholesale distribution with daily mobile van sales, delivering products directly to customers across rotating marketplaces.
Executive Summary
One of the largest frozen food distributors faced significant operational challenges in managing over 50 mobile van sales units across diverse market locations. A5E Consulting implemented an integrated SAP S/4HANA solution with warehouse management and barcode automation, enabling real-time inventory tracking and reducing workforce requirements by 66%.
Client Overview
A leading frozen food wholesaler and distributor operates 114 retail outlets, 30 storage facilities, and a fleet of over 100 vehicles. Their hybrid business model blends traditional wholesale distribution with daily mobile van sales, delivering products directly to customers across rotating marketplaces.
The Business Challenge
The mobile van sales model presented unprecedented operational complexities:
Decentralized and untrackable mobile inventory
With over 50 vans operating as mobile stores across shifting marketplaces, inventory tracking was highly fragmented. Daily opening and closing balances had to be manually verified, and there was no system to manage returns, resulting in frequent mismatches and zero real-time visibility.
Complex and error-prone returns management
Returned goods made stock reconciliation complex. Without automation, mismatches between sales returns and remaining stock had to be manually verified against invoices.
High workforce dependency and inefficiencies
Temperature-sensitive injections and medicines required refrigerated transport, but the company lacked systematic planning to ensure products were assigned to appropriate vehicles, leading to product spoilage and quality issues.
A5E’s Approach & Solution
To address the client’s unique operational model, which combines cold storage distribution with mobile van sales, A5E Consulting implemented a
comprehensive SAP S/4HANA solution, bringing 114 stores and over 50 mobile units online simultaneously.
Mobile van inventory management
A virtual store model was introduced, treating each
van as an independent profit center with
standardized naming conventions (e.g., Store 001,
Store 002). The system enabled:
• Automated opening and closing of stock balances
• Real-time tracking of inventory in all mobile units
• Systematic goods return reconciliation
• Improved stock visibility and loss prevention
Cold storage readiness and compliance
While real-time temperature monitoring was not fully
implemented, the SAP foundation was laid for future
IoT sensor integration to support cold chain logistics.
The warehouse design and data model allowed for:
• Product-specific temperature tagging
• Batch traceability for hygiene and compliance
• Potential integration with IoT-based alerts for
temperature deviations
Intelligent return processing
Returned inventory from mobile vans was handled
using barcode scanners and integrated weighing
machines. This enabled
• Automated return logging and reconciliation
• Instant inventory adjustment and bin reassignment
• Cash reconciliation linked to van-specific sales returns
Barcode-enabled warehouse automation
A barcode scanning system was tightly integrated
with SAP's warehouse management functions,
eliminating manual stock entry and ensuring
seamless inventory flow from the warehouse to vans.
Key features included:
• Barcode-based goods receipt, dispatch, and returns
• Unit of measure standardization (e.g., tracking fish in
kilograms)
• Elimination of manual counting and data mismatches
• Real-time visibility of stock movement inside the warehouse
System integration and automation
SAP S/4HANA was integrated with the client's Go
Frugal POS system and barcode scanners.
Additional automation included:
• Trolley-based internal warehouse movement
• Syncing of POS sales data with SAP for real-time
inventory and accounting updates
• Smooth data flow across sales, inventory, and
finance functions
Finance process automation and reporting
Automated invoicing, vendor payments, expense and
asset management using FI module. Also ensured:
• Compliance with accounting standards and enabling
customized financial reporting
• Real-time insights for improved planning, forecasting, and
risk management
SAP Modules Implemented
| Business Function | SAP Module Implemented |
| Inventory & Stock Movement | SAP Materials Management (MM), SAP Inventory Management |
| Warehouse Operations | SAP Warehouse Management (WM) |
| Mobile Sales & Returns | SAP Sales and Distribution (SD) |
| Barcode Integration & Tracking | SAP Warehouse Management (WM), SAP Materials Management (MM) |
| Return Processing & Reconciliation | External Barcode System, SAP Sales and Distribution (SD) – Returns, SAP Financial Accounting (FI) – Automation and risk management |
| Quality & Batch Management | SAP Quality Management (QM), Batch Management (for hygiene & traceability) |
| POS and System Integration | SAP S/4HANA Core + Go Frugal Integration |
| Cold Storage Monitoring (future) | SAP Internet of Things (IoT) – Planned, SAP Quality Management (QM) |
Key Outcomes & Business Impact
The SAP S/4HANA implementation, combined with warehouse automation, transformed complex mobile retail operations into a streamlined, intelligent system. By addressing the unique challenges of mobile van sales through integrated warehouse management and barcode-driven tracking, A5E Consulting reduced workforce dependency and enhanced operational accuracy
About A5E Consulting
A5E is a global consulting company partnering with clients to chart, build and deliver their Digital Transformation journey. We execute a blend of expert process consulting services and top-tier technology platforms at organizations making them more agile.
Discover how A5E’s expertise in generative AI consulting can enhance your services. Contact us today!
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