Our last blog shared that Ultriva was the cover story in the manufacturing technology special edition issue of CIO Review. This feature article was authored by Raj Kumar and is titled, “Ultriva: Escalating Manufacturing Output Through Lean.”  The author interviewed Narayan Laksham, Ultriva’s founder and CEO. This second part of the story features Ultriva real-world success in the manufacturing space.  Here is part two of the article: 

Recently, Ultriva, the leader in collaborative supply chain solutions, was the cover story in the current October issue of CIO Review. This issue was the manufacturing technology special edition. The feature article was authored by Raj Kumar and is titled, “Ultriva: Escalating Manufacturing Output Through Lean.”  The author interviewed Narayan Laksham, Ultriva’s founder and CEO. During the course of the interview, Laksham explained how he applied lean principles to the supply chain processes and developed a solution that triumphs over the traditional Material Requirements Planning (MPR) systems and delivers more value.  Here is part one of the article: 

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. 

Being based in Cupertino, California, it is not uncommon to run into people who speak two, sometimes three different languages. My children are well-versed in explaining American idioms to classmates who might take “barking up a wrong tree” literally. Silicon Valley is its own little global microcosm.

Friday, October 3^rd marks the third annual Manufacturing Day or MFG DAY in social media parlance. In case you have not previously heard of Manufacturing Day, it is the annual celebration of manufacturing in North America, particularly in the United States. This National Event was established to expand knowledge about manufacturing and improve the public’s perception of U.S. manufacturing. The special day emphasizes the importance of American manufacturing to the economy. It also stresses educating the public about the value of US manufacturing careers. (Much has been written lately about the US Manufacturing Skills gap and how it impacts manufacturing). 

Recently there has been a wave of newcomers to technology solutions providers claiming to know and understand demand driven supply chain solutions.  Some are renamed companies, as if putting a fresh coat of paint on the old technology addressed real issues.  Many of these new (or newly disguised) solutions have significant limitations, functioning predominantly within the four walls of a manufacturing plant or with scheduling as the primary foundation of their technology.

Everyone in the manufacturing industry wants to reduce inventory costs; easier said than done and there is no magic bullet. Simultaneously there is little appetite for inventory reduction solutions with a big price tag. The closest any manufacturer can get to the magic is supply chain visibility.

Recently, Forbes and KPMG International released a survey on manufacturing entitled ‘The 2014 Global Manufacturing Outlook: Performance in the Crosshairs.” The report is based on interviews with 460 senior manufacturing executives around the world. 

The report contained four key findings: 

• Manufacturers plan to invest in enhancing processes which increase profits
• Organizations will increase R&D spending, including outside collaborations and leveraging technology
• Supply Chain visibility remains a challenge.
• Manufacturers want to achieve a globally integrated supply chain and share real-time information with suppliers

Are you a manufacturing company that wishes to extend your existing business system to accomplish one or more of the following?  

• Gain End to End Supply Chain Visibility (E2ESCV)
• Reduce your lead time by moving to a Demand Driven Manufacturing model
• Build trust in your supply chain through collaboration with suppliers and customers
• Migrate to electronic Kanban replenishment with suppliers for having the right part at the right place
• Increase your customer service levels by moving to consumption driven replenishment with your customers – OEMs, Distributors or Retailers.

Let Ultriva Lean Suite accomplish these goals and extend your investment in Oracle EBS 

Recently, Modern Materials Handling magazine published a case study of a pet supply company struggling with inventory. Warehouse workers had to physically bring the inventory to a computer to scan it, then send it on to the destination.  The process was “cumbersome and inefficient.” The problem was solved by adding mobile workstations with scanning capabilities. There was a definite, measureable ROI, productivity increased by 40%, with the added benefit of freeing up workers. Warehouse employees now dedicate less time to product movement.  Workers also use the mobile carts as label makers for pallets to save time instead of walking across the warehouse to the workstation to print.