Driving efficiency: Arbomex, world-class auto parts manufacturer, transforms stock management in SAP with SiMPL Planning Monitor

In today’s fast-paced industrial landscape, efficient inventory planning and management are critical to maintaining a competitive advantage. Arbomex, a leading provider of iron, aluminum and steel solutions, has been at the forefront of the auto parts, energy and industrial sectors for more than 45 years. As a tier 1 and tier 2 supplier to renowned automotive manufacturers such as Ford and Stellantis (with brands such as Dodge, Chrysler and Fiat), Arbomex has continually sought innovative solutions to optimize its operations. Recently, we asked Arbomex about the results of using SiMPL Planning Monitor for more than 2 years. SiMPL, a planning application designed to streamline the planning process in SAP. This step has significantly improved their inventory management capabilities and operational efficiency.

The challenge

Prior to implementing SiMPL Planning Monitor, Arbomex was facing challenges in its planning processes. Traditional methods of inventory management, navigating between standard transactions in SAP did not meet the needs of their dynamic supply chain.

The main challenges include:

1. Inefficient inventory management: Arbomex had problems maintaining optimal stock levels, which often resulted in overstocking or stock-outs. This inefficiency led to increased warehousing costs and the risk of delivery delays.
2. Reactive planning approach: Existing planning systems were primarily reactive and responded to problems as they arose, rather than anticipating and preventing them. This lack of proactivity affected their ability to meet customer demands in a consistent manner.
3. Time-consuming, outdated Excel analyses: Navigating between different SAP standard transactions and sometimes downloading and consolidating the information into endless Excel templates to analyze the planning situation of multiple materials takes a lot of time, perhaps more than users need to make timely decisions.

The solution: SiMPL Planning Monitor

To address these challenges, Arbomex turned to SiMPL Planning Monitor, implemented as a SaaS solution served from AWS for the front-end component and the back-end component within SAP, maintaining consistency and compliance. SiMPL Planning Monitor is specifically designed to improve planning processes within SAP environments, providing a robust and scalable solution to meet the needs of modern supply chains.

Main features and advantages:

1. Optimized inventory management: With SiMPL Planning Monitor, Arbomex has been able to streamline its inventory planning processes. The application provides real-time visibility into inventory levels, allowing Arbomex to anticipate demand and take proactive measures to maintain healthy inventory levels. This optimization has significantly reduced inventory costs and ensured adequate availability of key products.
2. Proactive Planning: SiMPL Planning Monitor’s capabilities have transformed Arbomex’s planning approach from reactive to proactive. The application allows Arbomex to plan ahead, analyze from different MRP rules and anticipate potential disruptions. This change has improved its ability to meet customer demands and increased overall customer satisfaction.
3. Easy Implementation / Easy Support: Implemented on the AWS SaaS option, SiMPL Planning Monitor, and based on SAP standard MRP functions, it provides seamless integration with SAP to reduce implementation and maintenance time and cost, freeing Arbomex from worrying about infrastructure support, updating UI5 libraries, maintaining compatibility with SAP releases. Innova takes care of everything.
4. Save users time, make timely decisions: A user-friendly SiMPL user experience is not just a matter of aesthetics. Consolidating planning data in a way that can be easily digested, understood and alerts to identify potential risks is a matter of time, and making the right decisions at the right time.

Results

Since the implementation of SiMPL Planning Monitor, Arbomex has experienced significant improvements in its planning processes and overall operational efficiency.

Some of the key findings include:

1. Reduced warehousing costs: By maintaining optimized stock levels and minimizing excess inventory, Arbomex has reduced warehousing costs. Improved inventory management processes have also reduced the risk of stock-outs and ensured timely product availability.
2. Increased customer satisfaction: With a proactive planning approach, analyzing multiple scenarios, Arbomex has been able to meet customer demands more consistently. This reliability has strengthened its relationships with key customers, including major automakers such as Ford and Stellantis.
3. Increased operational efficiency: The seamless integration of SiMPL Planning Monitor with SAP has streamlined various planning activities, reducing the time and effort required to manage the planning process. This efficiency has allowed Arbomex to focus more on strategic initiatives and drive growth.

Looking ahead

Arbomex’s success with SiMPL Planning Monitor highlights the transformative potential of advanced planning solutions for SAP companies. Through consolidation of information, early warnings on risks of overstocking or stock-outs, analysis of multiple scenarios, they enable planning users a timely and accurate decision-making process to streamline and strengthen the supply chain.

More information about SiMPL Planning Monitor

SiMPL Planning Monitor is designed to streamline the planning process in SAP for various industries and planning scenarios by leveraging multiple features with a focus on SAP users.

Ordering point

For companies intensive in spare or replacement parts, such as oil and gas, utilities, energy and telecommunications, they have:

• Easy-to-read icons warn you of the risk of shortage or overstocking,
• Simulation of future coverage based on actual historical consumption,
• Automatically analyze and calculate parameters such as reorder point, safety stock and maximum stock based on historical data to optimize stock levels.

Needs-based planning

For companies that plan based on sales planning, such as manufacturers or wholesalers:

• Multiple options to edit or load forecasts, with freeze periods to avoid last minute changes and supply chain disruptions.
• Compare various versions of sales planning, perform plan vs. actual comparisons for compliance or variance analysis.
• Transfer to demand management, all at the same point of entry, instead of 3 or 4 transactions in SAP to perform the same process.

Unique batch maturity prediction function

In companies such as pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and beverage or any other company where the expiration date is critical, SiMPL offers a simple way to predict, anticipate and avoid material (and money) wastage due to expiration.

MTO / MTS – Manufacturing

For companies with production processes:

• Analysis of multilevel planning scenarios in the BOM explosion, allowing users to analyze the impact of changes in finished goods on component inventory levels.
• Capacity analysis to identify possible overloads at your workstations and the possibility of modifying the production plan and load balancing.
• Analysis of the planning situation for special inventory scenarios, such as make-to-order (MTO), separated by customer orders.

We invite you to watch our video summarizing the features of SiMPL Planning Monitor and to schedule a demo to learn more about how our solution can be implemented to achieve greater efficiency, cost savings and customer satisfaction.

Schedule a demonstration today

Experience the advantages of SiMPL Planning Monitor. Schedule a demo and learn how our solution can simplify your planning processes and drive success in your organization. Join Arbomex and other industry leaders to optimize your operations with SiMPL Planning Monitor.

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Arbomex’s success story is a testament to the power of innovative solutions to improve operational efficiency and drive growth. By adopting SiMPL Planning Monitor, Arbomex has not only optimized its inventory management, but has also set a new standard for proactive planning in the industry. If you are looking to streamline your planning processes and achieve similar success, SiMPL Planning Monitor is the solution you need.