Continuing our blog posts on the End to End pull replenishment system, we will be tackling the most common of the eight requirements; the critical need for manufacturers to collaborate and integrate with their upstream supply chain. 

My name is Lori McNeely and I am the Customer Support Specialist for Ultriva. My job is to support our customers when they have questions. 

Here at Ultriva we constantly strive to engage with our customers to deliver services that are beyond the norm. About eight months ago we discovered that our customers, who use Ultriva software solutions on a daily basis, do need ongoing training for several reasons: 

Last week we discussed the first requirement on why a collaborative transactional portal is a must have for establishing End to End (E2E) pull replenishment. Feel free to refer to the original blog that described E2E Pull and all the requirements.

-Only when Combined with Driver Based Metrics, Information Sharing and Visibility

A new white paper offered through Supply Chain Management Review suggests that a product begins its life with maximum profit potential during the manufacturing process. But as that product moves through an increasingly complex, global supply chain, excess time and handling costs erode its profit.  The author continues to point out that the average supply chain has become segmented, with different groups managing different phases of the product lifecycle in isolation. While this may add functional efficiency in specific areas, I feel the lack of a coordinated approach creates a less efficient supply chain overall. A more holistic, synchronized approach to managing logistics and related supply chain services throughout a product’s lifecycle is better suited to today’s companies. 

Every day I walk through the lobby of Ultriva and pass a table laden with the latest Supply Chain Magazines. When I open my inbox, I am swamped with many more email notifications for supply chain and manufacturing news from magazines online. So for an article to resonate with me, it must speak to an issue relevant to Ultriva, particularly one that we solve.

Material Handling Industry (MHI), the leading trade association for the material handling, logistics and supply chain industry, recently reported that when it comes to supply chain risk, firms need to peel the onion past their tier-one suppliers to get the complete picture. Referencing a recent study by Resilinc Corp., leading global supply chains have become dependent on the same small group of sub-tier suppliers – concentrating risk and increasing the potential for supply chain disruptions.

Start with Customer Relationship Management

Late last week, the Manufacturing & Technology eJournal report the following headline: American Women Vote Trane as Best Air Conditioning and Heating Brand for the Home.  This was the second consecutive Women's Choice Award Seal of Recommendation that Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems and solutions and a brand of Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR), was awarded. In a national survey among more than 5,000 women who were asked to select the brands they would most highly recommend to others, and Trane came out on top.

Current supply chain management systems often lack the tools necessary to quickly and cost effectively react to the constant stream of changes in customer demand, production schedules, and supply deficiencies common in global markets. Relying on different systems with multiple tools is often expensive, time-consuming, and inefficient. The best technology solutions must support true collaboration and execution between manufacturers and supply chain partners to enable seamless performance and increase revenue.

The Gartner IT Glossary explains that, “Demand forecasting applications incorporate historical and predictive customer demand information into production line and sales quotas.”  Sounds simple enough…not really.  Matters become more complex when extending the definition to an end-to-end pull process…still trickier when sensing customer demand and synchronizing supply.