How ZoRoCo Packaging eliminated admin overhead and achieved 100% EDI compliance
"Founded & Fueled by the Spirit of Family"
Eliminated manual data entry and spreadsheet reconciliation
From contract signing to full production use
Zero chargebacks since go-live
Live dashboards replaced end-of-day reports
The Challenge
ZoRoCo Packaging Inc.—a family-founded food contract manufacturer based in Caldwell, Idaho—was growing fast, but their systems weren't keeping up. With 3 production plants serving major retailers, they faced mounting pressure to scale operations without sacrificing quality or compliance.
Legacy System Limitations
ZoRoCo had been running on a combination of QuickBooks, Excel spreadsheets, and paper-based production tracking. This patchwork system had worked when they were smaller, but as order volume grew, cracks started to show:
- Manual EDI processing
Staff manually keying orders from retailer EDI documents into spreadsheets, leading to errors and delays. Each chargebacking costing $500-2,000.
- No real-time visibility
Production status only available at end of day. Customers calling for updates that required walking the floor to answer.
- Inventory discrepancies
Physical counts regularly differing from records by 10-15%. Frequent stock-outs and rush orders for materials.
- Growing admin burden
Two full-time employees per plant dedicated to data entry, reconciliation, and report generation.
"We were spending more time managing our systems than managing our operations. Something had to change." — Jeff Koehler, CFO, ZoRoCo Packaging
The Search for a Solution
ZoRoCo evaluated several ERP options, including SAP Business One, NetSuite, and industry-specific solutions like BatchMaster. The challenges were consistent:
- Implementation timelines of 12-18 months
- Costs ranging from $500K to over $1M
- Solutions designed for traditional manufacturing, not co-packing
- EDI requiring separate systems and consultants
When ZoRoCo discovered ShiftERP, they were skeptical of the promised 4-6 week implementation. But the purpose-built design for contract manufacturing—and native EDI integration—made it worth exploring.
The Solution
ShiftERP's implementation team worked alongside ZoRoCo to deploy a complete ERP solution in just 5 weeks—faster than their most optimistic expectations.
Implementation Timeline
Discovery & Configuration
Mapped ZoRoCo's workflows, configured product hierarchies, and set up customer-specific requirements.
Data Migration
Imported historical customer data, product catalog, and inventory counts. Validated against source systems.
EDI Onboarding
Connected EDIStack to ZoRoCo's major retail partners. AI-powered mapping handled document variations automatically.
Training & Parallel Run
Team training completed. Ran both old and new systems in parallel to validate accuracy.
Go-Live
Full production launch. Legacy systems retired. ShiftERP became single source of truth.
Key Capabilities Deployed
Production Management
Real-time line tracking, production scheduling, and changeover management across all production lines.
Inventory Control
Lot tracking, expiration management, and real-time quantity updates with barcode scanning.
EDIStack Integration
Automated EDI processing for purchase orders, acknowledgments, ship notices, and invoices.
Quality Management
In-process quality checks, hold/release management, and customer-specific specifications.
The Results
Within the first month of operation, ZoRoCo saw measurable improvements across every key metric they were tracking.
Administrative Efficiency
Eliminated 2 full-time administrative positions per plant. Staff redeployed to higher-value customer service and operations roles.
EDI Compliance
Zero chargebacks since go-live. EDI documents processed automatically with 99.5% first-pass accuracy.
Inventory Accuracy
Real-time inventory tracking eliminated discrepancies. Stock-outs reduced by 90%.
Production Visibility
Live dashboards replaced end-of-day spreadsheets. Customer inquiries answered instantly.
"ShiftERP transformed our operations. We reduced admin overhead significantly and finally have real-time visibility into production."
Ready for similar results?
See how ShiftERP can transform your co-packing operations with a personalized demo.