In the competitive and fast-paced e-commerce business, the key to success is on-time delivery with speed, giving an edge to any B2C service provider. The available technology platforms and digital transformation, supported with integrated solutions through an ERP, help achieve the required competitive edge in the e-commerce delivery market.
Our customer is a leading American multinational technology company focused on e-commerce, drone manufacturing, and package delivery services using small drones. The company evaluated its long-term needs of demand planning, purchasing, warehouse management, and supplier quality teams to gather high-level requirements.
To achieve the desired goals, the production took off with core integration to Product Life Cycle, Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software, and financial recording system in six months. In nine months, scaled production with fully automated Infor LN-MES-BOM integrations and making a landing in the future with optimal use of analytics and asset management solutions.
The Challenge
Inadequate integration across business systems required a scalable solution to support growth and change while maximizing the use of new technology.
- Integration to multiple third-party systems (Cloud-to-Cloud)
- Multiple integration touch points with third-party systems customize and multiple forms, reports, workflows and alerts, and data extractions delivered as per business needs
- Fast-paced implementation of project in 8 months with multiple skills resource mobility, multiple integrations, managing niche skills
- Driving/executing an implementation project from offshore
- Managing and working in Pacific Time zone with a relatively thin onshore team
- Achieve two major releases in less than ten months
The client was also struggling to implement a dynamic manufacturing system to provide improvements in customer management tools, material management processes, job, shop-floor control, bill-of-material (BOM) management, and sourcing of alternate parts to perform customizations and support the dynamic production process.
The Solution
Birlasoft Infor (LN) team implemented Infor LN CloudSuite Aerospace and Defense-Multi Tenant application along with its Edge solution capabilities. The solution streamlined business operations by enabling integrated process, real-time communication between third party solutions for PLM, Procurement, Business Partner through cloud-based platforms using Infor OS components.
Along with the industry-specific functionality, the critical aspect considered were the out-of-the-box features, coupled with a “30-60-10” approach for the functionalities for Manufacturing and Supply Chain and implemented with Solution Process Framework using Infor Accelerators (IA).
Key Solution Levers:
- Implemented Infor LN CloudSuite (A&D) Enterprise solution suite of products.
- Fully integrated solution with edge applications such as Apriso, 3Dx and Coupa, Hawkeye, Supplier Exchange, and EDI.
- To take care of the warehousing and the lot tracking, Infor Factory Track solution with the bartender printing utility Solution was implemented.
- Multi-site, multi-company and multi-currency solution with capabilities that encompass everything from procurement to inventory and warehouse management to financials and more.
- Business critical RICEFW modifications were also carried out to suit the requirements across production, planning, Quality, Item Serializations, Supplier Portals for order processing, fulfilment and for mission critical reports.
The Impact
Improved supply chain execution: Achieved favorable supplier relationships with the optimal usage of the “Supplier exchange portal” as it allowed access to supplier networks for effective communications and efficient order process for better prices with greater visibility. Furthermore, it reduced inventory costs and improved flexibility to manage part obsolescence with an integrated tracking of the serial numbers for parts.
Reduced operational complexity: Effective supply chain features improved planning, scheduling, maintained visibility & control, and provided the required alignment between production and demand.
The solution has helped to simplify engineering and purchasing processes, especially engineering changes. The quality team facilitated the quality and compliance process by monitoring essential metrics and ensuring precision and NCRs.
Single Source of Truth which ensured greater visibility on the data source and engineering process paved way to unlock innovation. The tightly integrated PLM-supported engineering design is now seamlessly integrated with the CloudSuite application. Complex BOMs and unique BOM structures for design, planning, and manufacturing are easily maintained and generated automatically from the production module.
Managed costs by enforcing standards and utilizing industry-specific best practices to support operational efficiency and effectiveness. The data-driven platform makes it possible to understand better how changes impact cost, inventory, production schedules, cycle times, and quality across disciplines, business partners, and the product lifecycle through analytics and alerts.
Significantly, the solution has reduced the cost of quality through proper planning, tracking, and disposal of non-conforming material without the need for external systems or spreadsheets.
