It is no secret that our SCM (supply chain management) software helps supply chain experts solve their pain points. In order to better serve our existing and prospective customers, we wanted to know specifically how Ultriva customers value the technology. This type of thinking is not new for Ultriva, we constantly incorporate customer feedback into our new enhancements and features, mostly recently in version 7.7.  Voice of the customer (VOC) is what drives the people and product at Ultriva. 

Recently we surveyed over 500 existing Ultriva customers from a wide variety of industries served. The industries we surveyed included automotive, aerospace, medical devices, electronic components, fitness equipment, and pharmaceuticals.  It’s eclectic to be sure, and of course, our biggest sector represented with more than 50% of respondent, was the manufacturing industry, which makes sense as Ultriva greatly helps discrete manufacturers.

The top three pain points identified by the VOC survey were:

• Lack of automation (bar coding, scanning) leading to costly human errors and low productivity (75%)
• Manual Kanban system not working (not scalable, cards frequently lost) (65%)
• Difficulties in improving suppliers’ performance due to lack of information and collaboration (56%)

Note: the question was multiple choice and the results exceed 100.  

Let’s look at these answers a little more in depth. One of the biggest areas of costly human error and low productivity is lack of automation in supply chain processes. Ultriva’s software increases productivity with near error-free automation of processes, by making it easy to introduce barcoding and scanning. Ultriva’s supplier portal makes it simple to track of who did what and when. This level of audit trail eliminates the need for email, phone, fax except in the case of extreme exceptions. 

The second pain point referenced in the VOC survey is the Manual Kanban system does not work because it is not scalable and cards are frequently lost. Ultriva’s eKanban technology turns a manual card system into a powerful, closed-loop Kanban, delivering supplier collaboration, visibility into real-time order flows, as well as shipment and receipt information. Ultriva maintains the visual nature of Kanban while guaranteeing no lost or duplicate cards. Last year alone, Ultriva successfully served over one billion Kanban Cards. 

The final pain point referenced was a lack of real-time visibility into the supply chain. Narayan Laksham, Ultriva’s founder and CEO explained, “The closest any manufacturer can get to the magic bullet is supply chain visibility. Supply chain visibility is needed to achieve manufacturers’ goal of saving money quickly and inexpensively. Ultriva’s approach to supply chain visibility is unique. All partners get access to data in real-time. Visibility to all orders allows suppliers to proactively respond to abnormal fluctuations in demand.” 

Poor visibility often results in parts shortages. Frustrated manufacturers report having no idea they were down to the last box of parts. The result is expensive, using faster shipping methods to get the part back on the shop floor. A real-time view of parts on hand allows a supply chain manager to take action before there is a stock out, eliminating expedited fees and avoiding a shut-downof the production line.

Real time visibility corroborates when orders are sent, received, and shipped, allowing a supply chain planner to see which suppliers are doing a good job, and which are not. Reports in Ultriva are easily run to measure supplier ship dates, and can be viewed and shared between buyer and supplier. There is no reason to wait for a supplier review, both parties can see how a supplier is doing, and identify areas of improvement. 

There was one last point about the customer survey I found interesting and wanted to point out. Customers were asked a question, “Were there any secondary or unexpected benefits you or your company derived from using Ultriva?” We got some expected responses such as improved receiving processes and smoothed the pull of materials from suppliers coupled with improved communication with suppliers. 

This response was unexpected and here is the customer quote verbatim:
“Ultriva Drives Discipline. While not directly because of Ultriva, but related to Ultriva, is the standard work we put together to implement Ultriva i,e, revisiting supplier lead times and transit times, and questioning them. Negotiating supplier container sizes to optimize inventory levels and increase inventory velocity. This standard work alone brought many of the benefits.  When you start to see the improvements in the ITO (Inventory Turn Over) which is the speed of turning your inventory and the DOH (Days on Hand) holding less inventory while still shipping our orders on time is exactly what Ultriva said would happen by streamlining the processes with their software.” 

This is a great endorsement and a great time for you to see a demonstration revealing how Ultriva can solve your supply chain pain points.