Case Study : Wielding Shop Floor

Whirlpool Europe’s implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is a positive business investment. One of the biggest challenges that Whirlpool Europe faces is a disconnect in the information systems. This disconnect has led to a decrease in product availability, loss in sales, and an unreasonably high inventory. A new system will allow Whirlpool Europe to improve operating effectiveness and efficiency. The cost of implementation of the ERP is quite substantial. However, the benefits do outweigh the costs when net present value is calculated and compared. Once the ERP system is implemented, sales offices will be able to view inventory across the entire supply chain to determine what

The company instead needs to change to a first in First out approach to keep inventory moving on shelves and develop a new enterprise resource system (Phillips, 2008). In addition to this change which would directly affect the floor employees since it is labor intensive and involves constant moving of product, the company would implement a sales tracking portable device that directly connects the store with the ecommerce site and the distributors. Under this method, store clerks can carry the portable tracker on their person and be able to directly engage with the customer by locating products faster as well as order products directly with the consumer if the product is out of stock or not carried at that location. In addition, the sales tracker will be an inventory tracker with a minimum quantity set with distributors that can automatically order additional product to keep stock or for the company to ship excess material at one location to another location in

One of the biggest needs for improvement was the assembly process. Although several changes were made throughout the years, quality and efficiency still fell below expectations. Hinrichs implemented the newly developed assembly which consists of two separate work stations that allowed operators in the adjacent stations to share the expensive balancer machine. These assembly cells were much more efficient as workers were no longer forced to wait for another person or machine in the process. Each cell was built like the other with quick turn set-up which created flexibility in the process while also reducing tooling inventory by almost a half. Now cells

Kroger uses a number of ERP systems. The first major ERP system Kroger uses is the self-checkout systems. Kroger hired Fujitsu Transaction Solutions to be the sole strategic partner for these systems which are now implemented in most Kroger stores. The next ERP company is PurchasingNet-SQL who Kroger hired in 2000 to streamline its purchasing processes of new store equipment and store refurbishing projects. In few words PurchasingNet-SQL implements an eProcurement system. This system automates approvals and budgeting processes, sends e-mail updates, separates stock requisitions, tracks inventory levels in warehouses, and matches invoices to purchase orders and requisitions to ensure accurate accounting. This system is especially critical because of the numerous retail outlets that all need to be in contact with the single purchasing department. A third company that offers its services to Kroger is the Sterling Information Broker. Kroger is using Sterling to help become more cost-effective and efficient with its trading partners. Kroger with Sterling can exchange electronic documents with essential trading partners including customers, suppliers, freight carriers and financial institutions.

After careful assessment of the infrastructure and inventory systems used at Riordan Manufacturing, our team has identified these systems are outdated and unable to effectively manage the day to day processing. As a global leader in the manufacturing of plastic products, the performance and reliability of the infrastructure is crucial to the continued success and growth of your company’s operations. Therefore, our solution to uplift the infrastructure and launch of the Riordan Global Operations System (R.G.O) a new platform for supporting inventory and managing customer orders . Our system will enable your employees and customers see

This implementation will also enable you to uses your full suite of communication tools in all lines of business. EDI transactions, Bar Code reading, and decision software, such as EDSS, will enhance your senior leaders ability to make sound judgments on a stable base of information at any site. This, of course, becomes a tremendous help in streamlining inventory stock levels, purchase order generation, and vendor delivery predictability. Forecasting raw material needs will no longer be a guessing game. Financial data from each plant will be available from all sites without manual processes.

Review the entre IT requests list and resolve them on priority basis. (I was given an example that one of 2011 request was worked recently.) Resolving the backlogs is a priority.

Unicon is a major player in the flourishing Hong Kong market for pre-cast concrete products and Mr. Li, the deputy managing director is pursuing the idea of “blanket” approval for Unicon’s custom design concrete products with one of it’s largest customers, the Hong Kong Housing Authority. This proposition could offer savings to both Unicon and the customer but this could adversely affect the relations with other customers and the manufacturing operations. If Unicon is to stay competitive in the ever expanding market, management must have a plan to

With the technology advanced and economy blossom, retailer has become an essential part in business chain in this consumers-oriented society. In this paper, I will highlight the the current status of ERP application in the whole retail industry, analyzing diverse ERP software’s strength and weakness and give some

What assumptions did Mr. Fischer make when he prepared the forecasts shown in case Exhibits 1 and 2? Were these assumptions reasonable?

Nour planned on what she was going to make before she started on the wood workshop. Nour said that she was going to make a phone holder. When she planned it linked to How Does Learning Happen because she was developing well being by making a choice and focused on making her phone holder. Also, Nour was demonstrating engagement because she was so engaged in making her phone holder, where she took the time to cut the wood and glue the thin cylinder wood, tree slices and rocks. Nour was also demonstrating expression because she had a huge smile when she was gluing her rocks. I saw Nour demonstrated belonging because she knew where everything was that she was confident using the tools in her class environment.

As the new logistics manager for Newton Tools in Dandenong, it is essential to analyse all aspects the workplace, to determine areas that pose risks and to develop solutions that assist the company, now and into the future. Initially, a tour of the facility was undertaken and then a staff meeting was called to discuss how the warehouse functioned. Consequently, based on these initial observations it was determined that further investigation was required which is to be the basis of this report.

To make some recommendations concerning the production process of Bayonne Inc., we need to do the process analysis, in order to be able to closer understand how the production flows through the different work centres work and what kind of problems and inefficiencies arise from this process.

The class text states that Supply chain management is frequently divided into supply chain planning applications, supply chain execution applications, logistics management, and warehouse management. Often when companies fail at implementing an efficient supply chain because of the planning section, or inaccurate demand forecasts. The text states electronic data interchange is one of the earliest uses of information technology for supply chain management, Electronic data interchange is the use of the Internet for everyday business transactions. “In this era of information a firm’s supply chain should operate at speed of thought and this is possible only by enhanced e-speed communications and information sharing with their critical partners.” (4)

HANA KIMI CO. would like to adopt an online Supply Chain Management System (SCM) whereby the customers may buy company 's products online via company 's website and able to track the status of the order including the availability of the stocks by integrating the Online Sales System with the company 's Inventory, Manufacturing and Production System.