As a Slim4 customer, what impact has the inventory optimisation software had on your day-to-day job?
Before becoming a Slim4 customer, we ordered according to a fixed re-order point and a maximum stock level that was revised every 6 months. The calculations were based on an Excel file combined with a report from SAP as well as considerable gut feeling.
Since then, our market approach has changed significantly; we have by-passed wholesalers and now deliver directly to the printers. To accomplish this, we had to allocate stock in several strategic locations to guarantee delivery within 24 to 48 hours to our customers. This can range from an order for a single pallet to a full truck load.
Because of this different approach, we needed a dynamic system that was able to adapt and adjust to last minute changes. By using Slim4, at a glance, we can check the current availability, sales, lead times and trends at SKU level. Through recognising trends and seasonality, the stock level is automatically adjusted to the market demand.
Ultimately, Slim4 provides us with greater insight and we can now anticipate and respond to problems much faster.
By merging the Slim4 reports with the business intelligence reports from SAP, we can forecast with far greater accuracy. As a result, we can reserve the capacity of the machines 2 to 6 months in advance. This in turn has enabled us to achieve an enormous increase in availability.