CLIENT CASE STUDY 1

Business Challenge

A pharmaceutical manufacturer, headquartered in Irving, Tx., experienced unnecessary levels of excess inventory, islands of automation, and uncommunicative departments which hindered the organization from meeting its growth objectives.

The company needed to implement Materials Requirements Planning, Capacity Requirements Planning, and a Sales Forecasting System to pull manufacturing orders through the shop based upon forecasted sales and actual demand.

The SSG Solution

Using data from the client's enterprise system and strategic business analysis, SSG designed and developed a set of custom management reports that served as the basis for management decision support.

Product planning teams were established to ensure that updated sales information was communicated to production. Items were re-classified using ABC analysis thus eliminating obsolete items and reducing cycle count volume. Sales, production, quality control, and accounting staff were trained in forecasting, material requirements, and capacity planning concepts/techniques.

Results

Finished goods SKUs were reduced 50%, while overall SKUs were reduced by 30%. Orders were shipped in a more timely fashion and finished goods, raw material, and WIP inventories were decreased. Inventory was more accurate and had increased turns, A custom interface was developed between a sales forecast system and the ERP system. The manufacturer is now poised for rapid growth.

CLIENT CASE STUDY 2

Business Challenge

A mid-size oilfield equipment manufacturer near Houston, Texas had large, multi-million dollar inventory write-offs posted each year. The design to build cycle time was lengthening monthly, as products became more complex and customized. Recent acquisitions resulted in duplicate part information, which created design, production and purchasing confusion. The company needed sophisticated technology and process assistance to effectively address these important issues.

The SSG Solution

SSG started by re-engineering the Inventory Control, Material Handling, and Production Processes by implementing cycle counting procedures, ABC inventory levels, safety stocks, floor stock determination, and work cell definition. We additionally instituted warehouse layout redesign, re-engineered material issues and receipt procedures, implemented Shop Floor Control and Work Center/Capacity Requirements Planning software modules. We worked with the customer to revise order processing and engineering procedures for compressed time to market capability. We re-organized raw material units of measure, revised drop and scrap procedures, and moved items into respective stock/rack locations for more effective cycle counting and inventory tracking. Additionally, we revised warehouse/raw material human resource requirements and personnel scheduling to adapt to changing workloads as well as trained department personnel in new procedures and system operations to more effectively perform accurate inventory control. Finally, our consultants successfully designed and developed custom reporting for shop floor control, inventory control, and purchasing operations.

Results

SSG worked with the company's auditors to achieve a sign-off on eliminating physical inventories, saving over two weeks of annual downtime and over $2 million recurring lost revenue. Upper management was now able to effectively run the business by utilizing accurate, fresh information to make important strategic decisions regarding customer acquisition related to production capacity. Departments were able to coordinate design and production seamlessly, and build times decreased.

CLIENT CASE STUDY 3

Business Challenge

A multi-national producer of printer components had a requirement for a centralized e-commerce solution interface that would integrate their current e-commerce package into all of their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, located in India, the U.K., Canada, and the United States.

The SSG Solution

SSG designed, developed and deployed a technical architecture to seamlessly integrate the disparate platforms at the various locations located around the world. The professional project management that SSG brought to the solution was critical in meeting the deadlines required by the customer.

SSG also developed a long-term information technology strategy to ensure a growth path for the company's e-business efforts.

Results

Worldwide operations are now successfully online utilizing the e-commerce solution, and the various ERP systems communicate continuously with the front-end storefront. The company now has two critical elements, an existing infrastructure and a technology roadmap, to follow as the e-business initiative moves forward.