OPERATING GUIDELINES CANADA East Danbro Crescent Mississauga, Ontario L5N 8C6 TEL: (905) FAX: (905)

Transcription

1 OPERA TING GUIDELINES OPERATING GUIDELINES CANADA 7400 East Danbro Crescent Mississauga, Ontario L5N 8C6 TEL: (905) FAX: (905)

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS HOW POOLING WORKS...3 BENEFITS OF CHEP...4 PLACING ORDERS...5 ORDER CANCELLATIONS...5 REPORTING TRANSACTIONS...6 USING PORTFOLIO...7 ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI)...10 INVOICE PAYMENT AND RECONCILIATION...11 AUDITS AND RECONCILIATION PROCEDURES...12 PALLET HANDLING PROCEDURES...13 PALLET CONTROLS IN THE WAREHOUSE...14 PALLET RETURN PROCEDURES...15 UPDATING ACCOUNT INFORMATION...16 CHEP CUSTOMER SUPPORT...17 CHEP ALERT NOTIFICATIONS...18 CHEP BEST PRACTICES...20 KEYS FOR SUCCESS...21 CHEP Operating Guidelines 2

3 HOW POOLING WORKS Service Centre Supplier (Emitter) Manufacturer (Emitter) * Service Centre Retailer (Distributor) SERVICE CENTRE EMITTER DISTRIBUTOR SERVICE CENTRE 1. CHEP issues readyfor-use pallets and containers to manufacturers and growers for use and movement through the supply chain. 2. Upon receipt of CHEP equipment, manufacturers and growers load their products and ship them through the supply chain using a CHEP pallet or container. 3. At the end of the supply chain, the receiving retailer or distributor off-loads the goods and returns the CHEP pallets or containers to the nearest CHEP Service Centre. 4. CHEP inspects and conditions all returned pallets and containers to ensure they meet our quality standards. These pallets are then made ready-for-use. *CHEP refers to customers at this stage as Emitters, as they move equipment under load through the supply chain. CHEP Operating Guidelines 3

4 BENEFITS OF CHEP MANUFACTURER BENEFITS CARRIER BENEFITS DISTRIBUTOR BENEFITS Consistent High Quality Pallets Reduced Product Damage Eliminates Pallet Repair No Pallet Exchange Reduction in Freight Costs Improved Handling Efficiencies No Capital Expenditures Improved Vehicle Utilization Reduced Dead Head Miles Reduced Pallet Exchange Disputes Reduced Idle Time and Injury Faster Load / Unload Less Driver Disputes Faster Load / Unload Reduced Product Damage No Pallet Repair No Pallet Purchases No Pallet Exchanges Multiple Vendors: One Pallet Specification Safety Improvements CHEP Operating Guidelines 4

5 PLACING ORDERS CHEP pallet orders can be placed by phone, fax or . When ordering via telephone, please have your 10-digit account number ready. All orders for Canadian S4840A pallets require a 2-business day (48-hours) lead-time*. All orders for US B4840A pallets require a 3-business day (72-hours) lead-time*. All orders for Canadian S4820A half pallets require a 3-business day (72-hours) lead-time*. All orders for Canadian S2420A pallets require a 3-business day (72-hours) lead-time*. *Orders with less lead-time are not guaranteed. Customer pick-ups require a minimum 2-hour receiving window. Appointment times are necessary at many of the CHEP Service Centres across Canada. Weekends and Holidays are not considered Business Days. Please plan accordingly. Whenever possible, arrange for standing orders. Emergency orders placed with less than the required lead-time are not guaranteed, but CHEP will attempt to accommodate you. ORDER CANCELLATIONS An order may be cancelled if a 24-hour lead-time is given and the carrier has not picked up the load. Contact the CHEP Call Centre at +1( 866) or at call.centre@chep.com. If the carrier has already picked up the load, CHEP may be able to divert the load to another customer. If this is not possible, the load will be delivered as originally requested, and a future load should be cancelled. CHEP Operating Guidelines 5

6 REPORTING TRANSACTIONS It is critical to accurately report transactions to ensure correct book balances on your CHEP account. All shipments containing CHEP pallets must be documented on the accompanying Bill of Lading. If pallets are ready for shipment and the BOL is not preprinted noting CHEP and the quantity, then the BOL must indicate the pallet quantity. The following information must be communicated to CHEP for all shipments that include CHEP pallets. The information may be communicated via EDI or through Portfolio: Date of shipment. Your customer s CHEP code. Your customer s name. Your customer s city and state. Your customer s reference number (Purchase Order or PO). Your reference number (Bill of Lading or BOL). The quantity of pallets shipped. CHEP shipment data must be communicated no later than 30 days after the actual ship date. If transactions are received after 30 days, ONLY 30 days of rental credit will be applied and your location s approval must be received. * YOU HAVE ONE YEAR TO REPORT TRANSACTIONS. CHEP Operating Guidelines 6

7 USING PORTFOLIO Portfolio is an Internet application that provides a web interface to CHEP. With Portfolio, users can complete a variety of tasks including: Manage account information by reviewing account summaries, and maintaining user information Report CHEP equipment movement Search for CHEP Codes Portfolio users include companies that initiate the placement of orders in the field, such as a grower, packer, or manufacturer. When a CHEP customer decides to use Portfolio, CHEP creates a company profile that allows your organization to access the web application. After the Portfolio profile is established, your company s User Manager sets up and maintains security for the employees who need to use Portfolio. Every person within your organization, authorized to access Portfolio, will be required to have a user name and password assigned to them by a single point of contact (User Manager) within your organization. This ensures that your company and transaction information is kept confidential. It also provides your company with total control of Portfolio. CHEP Operating Guidelines 7

8 PORTFOLIO QUICK START CARD LOG ON To Log on from your PC desktop: 1. Open the Internet browser, for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Communicator. 2. From the Internet browser, enter in the Address field. 3. Press ENTER on the keyboard. The browser displays the CHEP login page. 4. If needed, select your preferred language by clicking the appropriate language at the top of the login page. 5. Enter your User Name and Password. 6. Click Login or press ENTER on the keyboard. The browser displays the Portfolio Home tab. ENTER TRANSACTIONS To Enter Transactions: 1. Click the Orders and Transactions tab. 2. Click the Enter Transactions tab. 3. Select your location from the Reporting Locations drop-down list. 4. Indicate the equipment's destination or point of origin by either: 5. Selecting a Previously Used Code. (This drop-down contains codes used previously to report movements.) Or 6. Choosing a CHEP Code or My Code to identify the other party by clicking on Search Location. 7. Enter the Shipment Date. 8. Enter a Reference number for the movement. 9. If desired, enter an Other Reference number for the movement. 10. Select the Equipment moved. 11. Enter the Quantity of equipment in the movement. 12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 for the second set of fields if more than one type of equipment was moved. 13. Click Submit to report the movement to CHEP. 14. To change a processed movement, call your Representative. CHEP Operating Guidelines 8

9 PORTFOLIO v2.5 QUICK START GUIDE (Continued) VIEWING REPORTS AND INVOICES SEARCH FOR CHEP CODES LOGON PROBLEMS To Review Reports: To Review Invoices: To Search CHEP Codes: To Reset Password 1. Click the Reports tab. The blank Reports page displays. 2. Click the tab of the report type you want to review. 3. Select the reporting criteria (location, date range, sort criteria as applicable). 4. Click OK. The report displays. 1. Click the Reports tab. The blank Reports page displays. 2. Click the Invoice tab. The invoice displays in PDF format, which requires Adobe s Acrobat Reader. You can download the FREE reader by clicking on the Acrobat Reader logo on Portfolio s Home page. The Invoice option may not be visible to all users because Portfolio is privilege-based. Contact your User Manager for this privilege. 1. Click the Home tab. The Home page displays. 2. Click Search CHEP Codes in the Handy Functions area. 1. To reset your password, click 'Get Support' on the home page. IMPORTANT To address security and data integrity issues, Portfolio automatically logs you out after 30 minutes of non-activity and discards un-submitted orders and transactions. Any discarded orders or transactions must be re-entered. CHEP Operating Guidelines 9

10 ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI) Via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), you can send and receive transactional pallet information such as ASN s (Advance Shipment Notifications) orders and invoices electronically. This eliminates the need for printing and faxing documentation as you can now transfer data between your computer system and CHEP. With EDI, you can: Improve productivity by allowing system to system communication without human intervention Improve data accuracy and inventory control Improve efficiency by eliminating multiple handling of paperwork Streamline standard business procedures Eliminate repeated data entry Improved security because EDI transactions do not get lost in the posting process. The information captured on your computer is sent electronically to CHEP. This information is then used to provide you with accurate and reliable information. Your equipment transaction information is sent electronically to a VAN (Value Added Network). The VAN acts as a send and receive point for information sent via EDI. Here, your information is formatted and then sent to CHEP. CHEP uses this formatted information to provide you with accurate reports and invoices. CHEP Operating Guidelines 10

11 INVOICE PAYMENT AND RECONCILIATION CHEP Invoices and Transaction Listings are generated and ed (electronic invoice) on a weekly or monthly basis with payment within 10 days. Please ensure that a remittance advice is included with your cheque showing how payment is to be allocated. Payment should NOT be deferred when questions occur regarding invoice transaction details. Once generated, an invoice cannot be adjusted. Therefore, all credits due will be posted to the account on a future invoice, and backdated where applicable. Contact your Customer Service Representative regarding any questions and keep a copy of the invoice for reference during your next service call. Accounts with open invoices, that are over payment terms may be placed on pallet hold. CHEP will not fill your orders if you are on pallet hold until your invoice account has been brought up-to-date. CHEP invoices should be reconciled on a weekly basis. During the reconciliation process, the following information should be reviewed to avoid variances between the physical CHEP inventories on hand and the weekly closing balance as stated on your invoice. Inbound CHEP loads should match the Issue Note received on each delivery. (If there is a variance, contact your Customer Service Representative.) Inbound loads from suppliers, co-packers, or other company facilities should be checked for accuracy. (Verify that the actual quantity received was correctly reported and appears on your invoice. Make note of any inbound movements that do not match.) Outbound loads to customers or other company facilities should be checked for accuracy. (That the actual quantity shipped was correctly reported and appears on your invoice. Make note of any outbound movements that do not match up.) All corrections/reversals made by receiving parties should be checked for accuracy. Contact your Customer Service Representative if there are questions surrounding corrections/reversals appearing on your invoice. Suspended and rejected transactions should be reviewed and cleared. (See Suspended and Rejected Transactions section). *The Invoice ending balance should reflect the number of CHEP pallets on hand. Contact your Customer Service Representative to discuss an immediate action plan if you have a balance discrepancy. Failure to do so may result in stock take procedure or pallet/equipment loss. Pallet losses most frequently occur when: CHEP pallets are shipped to non-participating locations CHEP pallets are shipped to participating locations without supporting documentation CHEP pallets are shipped to participating locations, but not reported Invoice corrections and reversals are not reviewed for accuracy CHEP Operating Guidelines 11

12 AUDITS AND RECONCILIATION PROCEDURES CHEP will require physical audits at participating locations as needed to validate the integrity of the system. The audits are conducted jointly with your Customer Service Representative and personnel from your facility. The primary objective is to provide accurate and credible inventory validation within the flow of CHEP equipment at account locations to increase the control ratio of CHEP assets. The audit is the process utilized by CHEP to: Verify, validate and document stock balances Assist customers in the proper management of the CHEP program Adjust stock balances at account locations to reflect accurate stock counts Maintain and improve process control of CHEP assets Maintain accurate and efficient records for each stock take Consistent processes, procedures and guidelines will be followed for each and every audit assignment to maintain accuracy of findings, promote a level of confidence and reliability in those findings and reduce the likelihood of error, misapplication and poor communication. Depending on your specific account, CHEP may schedule a national or site-specific audit. With a national audit, all participating locations under an account affiliation will be counted within the same timeframe. Your account will be audited a minimum of once per calendar year as agreed upon by you and your Customer Service Representative. Whenever possible, CHEP will try to coordinate a pallet count with your own inventory schedule. With large, dynamic plant and warehouse locations, it is easier to obtain an accurate count when operations are either shut down, or kept to a minimum. A pallet audit consists of two parts: the physical count and the reconciliation. The timeline for the audit process is 30 days from the first scheduled count date until the resolution. Once the reconciliation process is complete your Customer Service Representative will share the results with the facility. If there is a variance in the quantity of pallets counted and the quantity of the location s stock balance, CHEP will assist in researching the cause of the variance. Contact your Customer Service Representative for any reports necessary to complete this research. When the audit result is a surplus, pallets will be added to accurately adjust the stock balance. When the audit result is a loss, a Lost Equipment Invoice will be raised. The lost pallets will be invoiced in accordance with the Terms of Rental (contract). Location balances will be adjusted once the Lost Equipment Invoice is paid in full. CHEP Operating Guidelines 12

13 PALLET HANDLING PROCEDURES Check all material handling equipment to determine if platen width and position are set correctly for CHEP pallet handling. The thicker board widths used in constructing CHEP pallets may necessitate adjustments. Review proper unloading techniques for receipt of any inbound CHEP pallets with all facility personnel to keep pallet damage to a minimum. Never unload CHEP pallets by pulling them out with a chain; always use proper material handling equipment. Straighten all pallets, whether empty or under load, with a forklift or other material handling equipment. Do not ram pallets against a pole, a wall, or other stacks of pallets. Always line up material handling equipment before entering a pallet. Entering pallets from an angle can damage the interior blocks. If pallets are stored in racks, full units should be lined up and the height of the unit should be checked before entering a rack. Units that are not properly aligned could fall through the racking. In addition, pallets damaged on entry could make the racked unit unsafe. The use of pallet jacks, whether manual or electric, requires special training. Pallet jacks should never be fully inserted into a pallet so that the front rollers rest on top of the far end board or the bottom deck boards will snap off. It is highly recommended that the handling of CHEP pallets with a pallet jack be demonstrated during shift meetings. Slipsheet equipment operators should take special precautions when handling pallets or palletized loads. You should never attempt to slide slipsheet platens underneath a stack of pallets or a palletized load to lift it or push it across the floor or into a trailer (bulldozing), as severe damage to the pallet will almost always occur. Pallets received from sources other than our CHEP pooling Service Centre network (e.g. inbound suppliers) should be inspected upon receipt for any functional damage. Any pallets with damage that could hurt the integrity of the load should be set aside and returned to the nearest CHEP Service Centre. CHEP Operating Guidelines 13

14 PALLET CONTROLS IN THE WAREHOUSE Always treat CHEP pallets like product. Do NOT send CHEP pallets to non-chep participants. When this is done, the pallet is deemed lost and your facility may be charged a loss pallet fee in accordance to the Terms of Rental (contract). Do not buy, sell, exchange, or repair CHEP pallets. Do not store CHEP pallets outside. Do secure empty pallets. Perform weekly reconciliations of all Receipts, Shipments and Returns noted on your Invoice Transaction Listing. Report all Outbound transactions. Do not accept stray CHEP pallets. This presents serious safety concerns. If you receive stray pallets, notify your Customer Service Representative and advise them where the stray pallets are. CHEP will arrange to inspect the pallets to ensure they meet our quality standards and correct the concern. CHEP Operating Guidelines 14

15 PALLET RETURN PROCEDURES Damaged CHEP pallets should always be set aside for return to the nearest CHEP Service Centre. It is necessary to determine when and where pallet damage occurred in order to take appropriate action. If pallet or load damage occurs either at the CHEP Service Centre or in-transit: CHEP will arrange for pick-up of damaged pallets and pay associated transportation costs. Your account will be credited for all fees relating to these pallets from the original date of issue. Upon receipt of damaged pallets or if there are other problems with a load, please contact the CHEP Call Centre at +1(866) or at call.centre@chep.com. Please reference the incoming Issue Note and give a brief description of the damage. Any damaged pallets should always be set aside. If pallet damage occurs at your location or your agent's location: Your facility is responsible to return damaged pallets to the most convenient CHEP Service Centre and pay associated transportation costs. The Service Centre will provide a Return Note verifying the quantity of pallets returned. Your account will be credited from the date of receipt at the CHEP Service Centre. Because you must balance the incurred issue fee and rental costs against the transportation costs of returning, work with your CHEP Customer Service Representative to determine the optimal amount of time before returning pallets. CHEP Operating Guidelines 15

16 UPDATING ACCOUNT INFORMATION If any changes are made to your account information, please notify your Customer Service Representative immediately to ensure continuation of service without interruption. Your Customer Service Representative will ensure that the necessary changes are made. Examples of changes are: Change of Ship-To/Delivery Address Change of Invoice Address Change of Logistics Information (i.e. Pallet Stack Height, Receiving Hours, Appointment Contact for Deliveries) Change of responsibility (Key Contact, Order Contact, Invoice Contact, etc.) Closing location Purchase Order Numbers Company name and or address changes require an new Terms of Rental agreement to be signed. And can be found at CHEP Operating Guidelines 16

17 CHEP CUSTOMER SUPPORT As part of the CHEP program, ongoing service support is provided to all participating locations. A CHEP Customer Service Representative has been assigned to your account to insure that you are able to maximize the advantages of the CHEP program. The frequency of service calls is set up by each facility with their Customer Service Representative. Issues which may be covered on service calls include but are not limited to the following: Train new personnel in CHEP procedures. Resolve discrepancy issues. Review and answer invoice or reconciliation questions. Specify action plans for resolution of issues. If you are unable to contact your Customer Service Representative, there is a help desk available from 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m. for any inquiries that you may have. CHEP Operating Guidelines 17

18 CHEP ALERT NOTIFICATIONS As an enhancement to our e-invoicing service CHEP has now launched the latest in automated account alert notifications. Linked to outbound transactional reporting, customers that have registered for CHEP electronic invoicing will now be alerted via whenever their account has not had a transaction processed within the last 30 days. NON-REPORTING ALERT NOTIFICATION This innovative service will help you ensure CHEP equipment balances remain accurate and up-to-date and ultimately help you avoid unnecessary rental charges from late and or non-reporting. CHEP Operating Guidelines 18

19 CHEP INVOICE PAYMENT STATUS NOTIFICATION This alert notification is geared at reducing production delays due to accounts being placed on pallet hold as a result of payment concerns or oversights; and is only being offered to customers enrolled in our e-invoicing service. You Can Manage Your CHEP Account through Account Alert Notifications! As an innovative feature added to our already successful e-invoicing service you can now get CHEP ACCOUNT ALERT NOTIFICATIONS delivered directly to your account. CHEP ACCOUNT ALERT NOTIFICATION For your convenience, your CHEP Invoice Payment notification has been triggered. To review the status or history of recent payments kindly contact CHEP Canada's Credit & Collections team at (905) To take advantage of this new service or to enroll in e-invoicing simply contact your local Customer Service Manager Toll Free at +1 (877) or register online via Thank you for choosing CHEP To cancel this subscription simply reply to this message with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject line. CHEP Operating Guidelines 19

20 CHEP BEST PRACTICES COMMON CHEP PRACTICE Pallets only received from a CHEP service centre pallets ordered per load Outbound shipments tracked via Portfolio Invoice payments by cheque Annual physical audits Paper Invoice CHEP BEST PRACTICE CHEP pallets received from raw material suppliers and CHEP 504 pallets ordered per load Outbound shipments tracked automatically via either EDI / FTP Invoice payments electronically via Electronic Funds Transfer Monthly physical audits Electronic Invoice CHEP Operating Guidelines 20

21 KEYS FOR SUCCESS Report all CHEP equipment movements. Keep empty CHEP pallets and / or containers secure and separate from other equipment. Full pallet / container quantities on CHEP (under original load) may be transferred to your other warehouses, DC s and participating DC s. Advise all employees of proper CHEP procedures as they pertain to their job responsibilities. Assign a CHEP Representative at each location to manage the CHEP Program. Assign and train back-up personnel on all CHEP procedures for assumption of responsibilities during vacation or illness. Keep a copy of all CHEP contacts, telephone numbers, and fax numbers in a prominent and accessible location for back-up personnel to access. Careful loading and racking of CHEP pallets and containers will result in reduced product / pallet damage. Damaged CHEP pallets and containers should never be shipped downstream. Only ship CHEP pallets / containers to participating locations. Conduct audits on a regular basis to monitor pallet usage. THE GOLDEN RULE: TREAT CHEP EQUIPMENT AS YOU WOULD YOUR FINISHED PRODUCT CHEP Operating Guidelines 21