ABOUT NOR-AM

Keeping Cold Storage Simple

Nor-Am Cold Storage provides temperature-controlled storage for a wide range of products, primarily in the food and food service industry. The company deals mainly in freezer and cooler capabilities, but it also offers a handful of dry storage capabilities. Its primary service offerings include: 

• Inventory control 
• Load consolidation 
• Cross-docking 
• Blast freezing 
• Labeling 
• Tempering 
• Pick and pack order fulfillment 

With facilities in seven states across the Midwest—Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin—Nor-Am consists of approximately 600 employees and growing. The company, having recently undergone several mergers and acquisitions, anticipated opening several new warehouses.  

THE CHALLENGE

Customized Billing Capabilities to Continue Expansion

The company’s rapid business growth would require a robust WMS—one that was capable of operating at scale and accommodating new facilities as Nor-Am continued its expansion. The software would need to include intuitive integrations with third-party systems, electronic data interchange, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and other manufacturing tools, such as robotics. Other necessary capabilities to help simplify complex management tasks included robust billing, customized workflows, and traceability features. 

“[Something] we couldn’t do before was customized billing options,” Kevin Niemeier, Vice President of Technology at Nor-Am Cold Storage, said. “Most customers have, you know, your standard billing options, but every once in a while, for us to secure new business, it does require some specific billing routines, and the WMS can handle that.”

THE SOLUTION

Software with Simplicity & Flexibility at Its Core

Footprint® WMS is currently the primary management software in place for all of Nor-Am’s facilities. Although the solution was implemented before Niemeier joined the company, he assisted with onboarding for one location, so he’s familiar with the platform and its operational advantages. Niemeier praised the convenience of the ePortal, which allows Nor-Am customers the flexibility to pull their own reports and see live inventory data. This cuts down significantly on back-and-forth conversations with the operations team. 

According to Niemeier, Nor-Am utilizes Footprint® WMS for “all warehousing activities” across the organization, highlighting functionalities such as flexible integration packages and diverse billing options. Furthermore, with powerful customer tools, such as the ePortal, live inventory visibility, and automated reporting, Footprint® WMS helps reduce manual tasks while improving customer service. 

“[One success] we’ve seen with using Footprint® WMS is through integration with our PLCs,” Niemeier said. “It gives us the ability to improve our warehouse—to scan in a complete pallet without even touching it. Anything that we could possibly dream of, I have full confidence that Footprint® WMS will have no issues with integrations.”  

THE RESULTS

Keeping the Entire Enterprise Connected

Niemeier attributes Nor-Am’s success to Footprint® WMS’s flexibility and customization potential, commending its versatile integration features that require very little intervention from the IT department. With everything from scalable warehouse management to advanced billing customization, the solution has enabled Nor-Am to continuously facilitategrowth with minimal IT effort. 

 Nor-Am plans to continue expanding upon Footprint® WMS’s integration capabilities as new technologies are introduced to the market. This high potential for scalability means that, whether operating one facility or 30, Nor-Am can trust Datex® to deliver reliable support and a system built to handle real-world demands. 

“I love the support we get—it’s fantastic,” Niemeier said. “I’ve been around this industry for a long time, [and] I’ve worked with about a half a dozen of these [solutions], and to me, Footprint® WMS stands out above the rest.”