| Lean Electronic Inventory Replacement has | | | | suppliers with varying lead times. These are |
| less waste because it is a more rapid, | | | | typically assembly line manufacturers that |
| efficient, and cost-effective approach to | | | | have typically carried higher levels of |
| Digital Kanban than traditional licensed | | | | safety stock due to the costs associated with |
| Kanban software because:o The software is | | | | stock outs on an assembly line. |
| already installed in a production environment | | | | |
| and ready to use.o Customer does not have to | | | | Digital Kanban solutions within the |
| purchase expensive hardware or pay a very | | | | demand-driven supply chain impact profit |
| large upfront license fee for the application | | | | margins in several ways: by decreasing |
| as well as purchasing hardware and | | | | expense side tangible cost associated with |
| prerequisite software and training support | | | | legacy forecast management solutions, |
| personnel on how to maintain/operate the | | | | increase profit margins through efficiency |
| system.o Pay as you go for what you use, not | | | | gains. Increased customer satisfaction may |
| for what you do not use (user based | | | | result in additional sales to new as well as |
| pricing).o Implementation time is generally | | | | existing customers. Automated Kanban can |
| less than a month to train personnel, | | | | dramatically reduce inventory, increase |
| configure the application and begin using the | | | | turns, and eliminate stock outs while |
| system.o Support of the system is | | | | enhancing supplier relations and customer |
| accomplished by the experts that developed it | | | | satisfaction. |
| allowing users to focus on their core | | | | |
| business, not on how to trouble shoot | | | | Manual Kanban presents numerous challenges: |
| hardware and software. | | | | |
| | | | • Unreliable due to too many human |
| According to Datacraft Solutions' CEO Stephen | | | | touch points. |
| Parker, "Lean electronic inventory | | | | |
| replacement enables our customers to rapidly | | | | • Unacknowledged responses due to the |
| implement our solutions without incremental | | | | manual process. |
| investments in infrastructure. This | | | | |
| facilitates a rapid path to return on | | | | • Cards are controlled manually and |
| investment. In addition, this lean SaaS | | | | susceptible to loss. |
| (software as a service) model allows our | | | | |
| customer to implement a solution at a | | | | • Lack of visibility. |
| predetermined monthly cost. Datacraft | | | | |
| Solutions provides all system maintenance, | | | | • Lack of timely automated reporting |
| upgrades and functional enhancements without | | | | capability. |
| the cost creep of additional modules." | | | | |
| | | | These issues are resolved by automated or |
| The Lean Electronic Inventory Replacement | | | | digital kanban. Software as a Service is a |
| leader has a target customer: manufacturers | | | | rapid, efficient and cost effective approach |
| that are managing a supply chain of many | | | | to implementing Automated Kanban. |