| Ultriva’s Lean Execution Suite consists of | | | | through suppliers globally. |
| modules like Customer Kanban, Supplier Kanban, | | | | |
| Internal Kanban, SBR, Lean Production and OEE, | | | | |
| which allow manufacturing companies to systemize, | | | | Sadly many firms still maintain excessive inventories. |
| sustain, and scale lean disciplines across the | | | | CFO’s recognize that using extensive networks |
| organization. Ultriva's flagship product, Collaborative | | | | of distribution centers and warehouses to ensure |
| Electronic Kanban, eliminates stock-outs while | | | | prompt and reliable deliveries does not guarantee an |
| reducing inventory levels up to 75%. Ultriva modules | | | | error-free environment. Lean methodologies |
| are in use in more than 130 plants worldwide, | | | | represent problem-solving tools and must allow |
| incorporating more than 5,000 suppliers, transacting | | | | enterprise-wide integration with the firm’s core |
| over 1.5 billion dollars of inventory at industry leaders | | | | strategy. |
| such as AGCO, CNH, Emerson, IR-Trane, McKesson, | | | | |
| Rexnord, and ThermoFisher. | | | | Laksham insists that, “Purchasing organizations |
| | | | | wrongly assume that “just-in-case” |
| | | | | inventories are less costly than the cost of downtime |
| In the current issue of AccountingSoftware411.com, | | | | or lost production. Preparing for an emergency or |
| manufacturing journalist Thomas R. Cutler, looks at | | | | downtime situation usually creates inventories of |
| the Demand Driven Supply Chain. In the feature | | | | items never used. Lean procurement activities must |
| Cutler interviewed Narayan Laksham, CEO of Ultriva, | | | | be directly related to production; otherwise they are |
| the electronic kanban technology leader, ( | | | | waste. Many organizations have lean strategic |
| | | | | sourcing initiatives implemented, yet find nearly half |
| According to Laksham, “Inventory reduction and | | | | the purchases are spot buys or unplanned. Too |
| number of turns are key benchmarks in determining | | | | often this type of inefficient thinking outweighs the |
| whether a solution is truly an on-demand SaaS | | | | possible advantages of warehouse control systems. |
| electronic pull-based supply chain solution. Only with | | | | “ |
| real-time material flow status, intelligent demand load | | | | |
| leveling, and electronic kanban, can the | | | | |
| return-on-investment be realized.” Indeed, those | | | | |
| actively engaged in lean initiatives seek to reduce | | | | |
| inventory levels, automate process controls, and | | | | Ultriva |
| enable supply chain integration both internally and | | | | Cindy 408.248. |