SEWS selects Inform to future proof demand planning

Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems Components Europe (SEWS-CE), manufacturer of connector systems and electronic modules for the automotive industry, has selected advanced planning technology from Inform to improve operational forecasting and financial budgeting.

 
With European headquarters in Staffordshire, SEWS supplies electronics and connector systems for cars and other motor vehicles, selling directly to both OEMs and tier one harness manufacturers in the automobile sector. SEWS will use INFORM's add*ONE Demand Planner to forecast global customer demand more accurately, in order to achieve efficiencies in supply chain operations.
 
The software will avoid wasted time spent on the forecasting process, which is currently done manually on spreadsheets. The add*ONE solution will provide a single set of figures across the company, which will be automatically updated with the latest market intelligence and predict demand fluctuations based on historical data. For example, SEWS would be able to predict the impact of a scrappage scheme in one country, based on the experience of another and budget to adjust resourcing levels accordingly.
 
Anthony Evans, general manager at SEWS-CE, says: "This will make forecasting demand from motor manufacturers much more accurate, which will bring our production levels more tightly in line with actual orders. Clearly we expect to see financial benefits as a result of a more efficient operation.
 
"The implementation will completely overhaul the way we work. One of the biggest attractions is having a single set of numbers and single system to work from, meaning we can stop manually inputting figures onto separate spreadsheets and review budgets more often. This will lead to better service levels for our customers."
 
Cathy Humphreys, UK country manager at Inform, adds: "Being able to forecast vehicle components at a tier two level is very difficult to do manually, and we have just gone through a very unpredictable period in the automotive sector which has not helped.
 
"Our technology offers a means of predicting more accurately what may be required and automating the process, giving SEWS greater visibility across the business, improved efficiencies and happier customers."
 
Inform's add*ONE Demand Planner will be integrated into SEWS's in-house Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, and will go live in September ahead of the company's budget review.
 
Its add*ONE software solutions bolt on to an ERP solution, and act as a "turbo boost" to optimise demand and inventory planning and drive efficiency savings. The add*ONE family typically delivers up to 40 per cent reduction of stock and typically provides a return on investment within the first 12 months.
 
Inform's add*ONE Inventory Optimizer offers an efficient solution for stock planning with powerful forecasting procedures, purchasing support, and exception based workflows designed to simplify the user's workload. The add*ONE Demand Planner provides the ability to achieve optimal forecast accuracy by combining sophisticated forecasting procedures with market intelligence enabling companies to react quickly to changing market demands. The exception driven workflows minimise the manual work in generating an accurate, consolidated forecast for the whole business. Its UK-based customers include: Bosch Thermotechnology, Fujitsu Services, John Parker and SFS Intec.