Most folks have all they can handle on Thanksgiving Day to serve up one turkey for their family feast. The managers and employees of Perdue Farms have to move more than 1 million turkeys across the United States at Thanksgiving-time.

This task is a whole lot more manageable since Perdue invested some $20 million in a Manugistics (www.manugistics.com) supply chain management system. Using the SCM system’s forecasting software and supply chain planning applications, Perdue finds it much easier to deliver the right number of turkeys to the right stores at just the right time. According to Don Taylor, Perdue’s CIO, “As we get to November, we have live information at our fingertips.”

Because getting turkeys from the farm to your local supermarket is a race against time, Perdue uses its SCM logistics module to be sure the turkeys arrive in fresh condition. Each of Perdue’s trucks is equipped with a global positioning system that enables Perdue’s dispatchers to know each truck’s location at all times. If a truck has mechanical trouble en route, another truck is dispatched to rescue the turkeys and speed them on their way. Perdue uses a variety of technologies to keep in touch with customers, including telephone, e-mail, and videoconferencing. Some retailers have computer systems that communicate with Perdue’s systems, allowing Perdue to track sales of its turkeys with real-time information obtained from in-store checkout scanners. “We’re always looking for new technologies as they come along to see what makes sense for us,” says CIO Taylor. When Thanksgiving rolls around, Taylor will give thanks for his SCM system for making his job a bit easier and for getting turkeys fresh to his retail customers’ tables.