ADI

With rapid growth and over 200 locations worldwide, ADI Global needed to move beyond manual, Excel-based planning. While rolling out a new ERP and WMS, the team turned to Slimstock’s Slim4 to bring speed, visibility, and control to their supply chain. Within months, system-driven planning and advanced forecasting resulted in higher fill rates, improved stock availability, and a smarter, more agile operation.

With more than three decades of industry experience and founded in the United States, ADI is a leading global distributor of security, AV, and low-voltage products. The multi-billion-dollar company has built a strong reputation, expanding into 20 countries and over 200 locations worldwide.

ADI is constantly evolving to stay true to its mission: to deliver tailored expert advice every day on products and specific individual project needs. The business’s success is driven by its commitment to providing a wide assortment of top brands with immediate product availability.

Over the past five years, the company has completed several acquisitions to complement its long-expanding assortment. “As our global footprint widens, specifically in North America, it became clear we needed to invest more in technology to support our growth,” explained Natalia Lonigro, Senior Manager of Inventory and Planning at ADI Global.

Challenges

Before its supply chain transformation project, ADI ‘heavily relied on Excel’, said Natalia. Therefore, building statistical forecasting, seasonal profiling, and demand sensing was a big challenge.

“The immediate need was to find a solution that could quickly connect an interim solution to our AS 400 system that was being replaced. Then use this same system as our new ERP and WMS were being gradually rolled out. This allowed current and future target inventory positions across all items and locations without missing a step during the new ERP introduction. The interim solution was up in less than four months and was ready once the new ERP went live.

The solution

To enable data-driven planning instead of relying on gut feeling, ADI decided to trust the Slimstock solution to support its ambitious plan. By allowing accurate end-to-end visibility without compromising speed or control, the company achieved significant improvements.

‘One of the standout features for us and my team was system-driven planning. Slim4 offers variable statistical forecasts based on demand patterns, allowing us to make more accurate, data-driven decisions. This was a game changer. It gave us flexibility and precision,’ highlights Natalia.

With Slimstock’s tool and its AI-enabled capabilities, ADI can achieve proactive inventory management by navigating its user-friendly and intuitive interface. Through Slim4, ADI was able to move all their planning and purchasing activities into one unified tool. With enhanced data availability within Slim4, ADI was able to gain the teams efficiency in forecasting, planning and purchasing. “The 12 to 36 months forecasting capability allows us to plan and anticipate demand by DC or Branch, complemented by seasonal patterns and demand sensing, all thanks to Slimstock’s powerful tool, Slim4.’

Results

Since its implementation in 2023, ADI has experienced transformative results in its operations. ‘Between October and December 2023, our fill rate and in-stock levels were in the mid-80s. Today, the fill rate is 91%, and the in-stock rate is 93.8%, meaning a 10% increase, both above our target. We aim to hit 93% fill rate by the end of 2025.’

Further delivered results include:

• Improved target inventory by location: Slim4 enables precise inventory planning per site, considering demand and optimising stock placement across the network.
• Lead times now reflect the actual route—East Coast vs. West Coast: Slim4 differentiates lead times by route, ensuring replenishment planning aligns with real transit time.
• Mass update capabilities: Planners can independently perform bulk changes to forecasts or inventory data, speeding up supply chain processes.
• Planning can be done at the store, DC, or master DC level: The system supports multi-tiered planning, allowing strategic decisions at the most granular or aggregated level based on business needs.
• Scenario planning enables informed decision-making for bulk purchases and special deals. Teams can model different purchasing scenarios directly within the system, enhancing their agility.
• Better visibility enables more accurate, data-driven decisions: With centralised and intuitive dashboards, users now access actionable insights faster than through ERP or Excel-based reporting.

Next Steps

The future for ADI looks just as bright as their supply chain transformation journey. ‘We are growing fast, and Slim4 will grow with us. As our business changes, we’ll keep collaborating. We have always worked through tough times with them, together. It’s been a fantastic experience, and we are very happy with Slim4 and the team.’