How technology powers Lehmann business growth
Publish Date: December 1, 2005
Author: Carolyn Pickering
Peter Lehmann Wines will continue to stay at the forefront in using information technology to maximize efficiency and quality of its products. That is the aim of Simon Whyatt, information technology manager of the Barossa Valley business. “We are ready to take it to the next level,” he said.
As well as buying grapes from about 185 local independent growers, PLW has its own vineyards, which produce about two per cent of its requirements. But Simon says the company’s main involvement with IT is in the production of quality wine and the business systems used in packaging, exporting and promotion.
“We use technology throughout the business; as soon as the grapes hit the weighbridge, right through to the finished product and beyond,” Simon said.
The company uses the well known Ezywine program to consolidate all winery procedures into one; incorporating accounting, bottling, payroll, vineyard, asset register, marketing, distribution, budgeting, mail order, winemaking, point-of-sale and plant servicing packages. Simon says the application provides better stock and quality control, and cashflow.
Simon says the package has provided a level of control over quality by capturing analytical information and is used to manage all aspects of cellaring. “We can keep track of batches and trace wine back to individual vineyards if required,” he said.
Simon says the software provides staff with data that ensures quality in production and processes are consistent and streamlined. “In terms of packaging, we have systems in place to process the wine for particular customers or markets which start with applications affecting our end of production right through to processing and the electronic transactions with our bottler, Vinpak,” he said.
The application also ensures statutory requirements such as Australian Customs processing requirement for exports are taken care of and automated via the internet, saving a lot of time and red tape.
Simon says the company also uses business intelligence products from Cognos to analyse and manage many production processes enabling them to understand and manage supply chain performance, throughput, quality, productivity, inventory and costs.
The company is growing its IT systems, integrating the applications on SQL Server technology, which provides the power to create systems that can provide more specific and timely data to the business. The company also uses TridentGlobal applications to manage exporting and trade processes. “IT has become so important to our business; things like email, electronic transactions and the internet are standard in all businesses these days,” Simon said.
“The next step for us is to use and integrate the technology we have to help us really maximize such areas as work-flow processing, and managing work-flow in response to customer requirements.”
Source: Australian Vignerons
