Manufacturing giant streamlines inventory management processes with WMS-All-in-One and Mobile Supply Chain Application

Highlights
  • Industry

    Manufacturing

  • Solution Footprint

    Mobile Supply Chain Application (MSCA)

    WMS All-in-One

Customer Overview

Our customer is a global leader in manufacturing and distributing mineral exploration drilling services and products. The Company is the only integrated drilling services and products provider, combining engineering excellence, global manufacturing facilities and the most experienced group in the business.

Business Challenges

With a global business expanse and operations in remotest of the areas world-wide, it was essential for our customer to have an efficient supply chain. However, the fact was that they were struggling with their inventory management processes which were managed manually. Another key area of concern was the lack of technological know-how among their resources to adapt to or adopt a new technology solution which could streamline the supply chain to improve productivity and efficiency.

The customer was looking to integrate all the aspects of its supply chain to streamline the inventory and improve their bottom line. To achieve this, they wanted a reliable partner with a global footprint who could help them standardize their processes across the globe. An implementation partner with proven expertise and credentials in Applications Integration and Mobile Supply Chain Application (MSCA) was their basic criterion for partner selection. To achieve this goal, they selected Birlasoft and its WMS All-in-One as their technology solution.

Birlasoft Solution

Birlasoft qualified on all the parameters that the customer was seeking from its partner. Our proven credentials in implementing MSCA and our proposed solution WMS All-in-One covered all the customer requirements and addressed all their areas of concern.

After the project completion, the customer declared that one of the key reasons that they selected Birlasoft was because of our capability of being a single source solution provider for RF-expertise, sourcing and support for the project as part of our WMS All-in-One solution.

Some of the compelling reasons for Birlasoft implementing the MSCA and WMS All-in-One were:

It allows an organization to perform common warehouse and shop floor transactions from any location in the manufacturing facility through the use of handheld devices. These include handheld Radio Frequency (RF) units etc. This Application enables a real-time interface to Oracle Applications through a built-in user interface. It provides the ability to access the system from anywhere, wherever the RF network coverage exists. This enables an organization to complete transactions inside or outside the manufacturing facility.

WMS All-in-One Features

  • Wireless Infrastructure: RF site survey and installation, current coverage, corporate security requirements
  • Mobile Data Collection: Handhelds, fork truck mounted units, workstations, device management
  • Logistics Expertise: Warehousing, Logistics and Manufacturing expertise
  • Auto ID Labeling: Bar codes and/or RFID, shelf and bin labeling, barcoding process documentation
  • Label Printing from Oracle: Standard labels or custom, vendor compliance requirements, rules-based labeling
  • Oracle WMS/MSCA Setup and Configuration: Proper setup and configuration to match business processes
  • MSCA is pre-integrated with several Oracle Applications.

Through the second phase, Birlasoft enabled In Application support feature for some of the customer programs. Subsequently Birlasoft jointly worked on the UPK architecture to make UPK Knowledge Center available over internet for users outside customer network. The next step was integration of the UPK environment with customer's Learning Management System (LMS).

Business Benefits
  • Birlasoft sourced, tested, and implemented all RF scanners, printers, and labeling software as part of the WMS All-in-One solution
  • Cycle counting efficiency has improved significantly due to automation and the use of scanners to conduct the counts.
  • Inventory transactions like transfers are more accurate and faster due to automation and the use of scanning
  • All items are labeled upon receipt now, aided by Birlasoft's implementation of the labeling solution Cipher from Skipjack
Way Forward

Birlasoft is currently providing on-site post go-live support to the customer. We are also working on a schedule for the global rollout to customers other 13 manufacturing and distribution sites around the world. The customer will also look to use MSCA for manufacturing transactions in the near future, like assembly moves and assembly completions.