Case Studies

Petrochemicals

Petrochemicals Manufacturing (South Africa)

Programme
MRP and Supply Chain Optimisation Programme
Brief

Assist in establishing confidence that Centralised Shared Services can use SAP’s MRP to satisfy production’s raw and packaging material needs. A local manufacturing operation with local and international suppliers servicing a central warehouse.

Success
  • Data accuracy improvement of  76%
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 93%
  • Inventory value reduction of 21% (for packaging)
  • Inventory value reduction of 13% (for raw materials)
Time to value realisation
8 months

Petrochemicals (FMCG) Manufacturing and Distribution (South Africa)

Programme
Supply Chain Optimisation programme
Brief

Ensure effective stocking strategies and various depots to trigger replenishment from the production facility, to facilitate planned growth into new FMCG markets.  The programme covered a manufacturing plant supplying 25 distribution depots across the country

Success
  • Data accuracy improvement of  68%
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 68%
  • Inventory performance management brief was to build at least 60 days of stock
  • Reduced slow moving stock by 17%
  • Certified 12 staff in SweetThorn's Business Maturity Optimisation methodology 
Time to value realisation
12 months

Specialised Chemicals Industry (South Africa)

Programme
MRP Implementation Programme for Maintenance Spares
Brief

Implement MRP for maintenance spares across 2 regionalised manufacturing operations with local and international suppliers.

Success
  • Data accuracy improvement of 98%
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 98%
  • Inventory performance management was out of scope
Time to value realisation
8 months

Petrochemicals Distribution (South Africa)

Programme
Post SAP Implementation MRP & Distribution Support Programme
Brief

Emergency intervention to facilitate the movement of finished product from factory, to DCs to offshore customers. Thereafter ensure that the flow of finished product is sustained.

Success
  • Reduced overdue sales order tonnage by 99%
  • Reduced overdue stock in transit tonnage by 87%
  • Inventory performance management was out of scope
Time to value realisation
11 months

Petrochemicals Distribution (South Africa)

Programme
Post SAP Implementation MRP & Distribution Support Programme
Brief

Emergency intervention to facilitate the movement of finished product from factory, to DCs to offshore customers. Thereafter ensure that the flow of finished product is sustained.

Success
  • Reduced overdue sales order tonnage by 99%
  • Reduced overdue stock in transit tonnage by 87%
Time to value realisation
11 months

Retail

Wholesale Company (South Africa)

Programme
Procurement & MRP Optimisation Programme
Brief

Move replenishment from Excel based, to SAP’s MRP based planning without affecting customer service to approximately 120 outlets. Goods procured from both local and international suppliers.

Success
  • Data accuracy improvement of 52 %
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 37%
  • Inventory value reduction of 15%
  • Dead stock reduction of 17%
  • Certified 4 staff in SweetThorn's Business Maturity Optimisation methodology
Time to value realisation
4 months

Retail Company (South Africa)

Programme
Procurement & MRP Optimisation Programme
Brief

Establish an internal capability, in the form of a Business Maturity Optimisation team, to ensure that approximately 120 retail stores based across the country are replenished within agreed key performance indicators.

Success
  • Established a five member, optimisation team, certified in SweetThorn's Business Maturity Optimisation methodology
  • Data accuracy improvement of 76 %
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 60%
  • Inventory value reduction of 11%
  • Dead stock reduction of 3%
Time to value realisation
6 months

Utilities

Utilities Company (Europe)

Programme
Supply Chain Optimisation Programme for Maintenance Spares
Brief

Enable a Shared Logistics Service function to replenish spares needed for household & industrial utility for all services & equipment outside property boundary.

Success
  • Data accuracy improvement of 92 %
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 96%
  • Inventory value reduction of 23%
Time to value realisation
12 months

Utilities Company (South Africa)

Programme
Maintenance Planning Improvement Project
Brief

Coach the maintenance planners, warehouse and procurement staff to use SAP’s Work Order and Supply Chain Exception monitoring tools for the maintenance of pipelines and stations spread through-out SA & Mozambique.

Success
  • Data accuracy improvement of 84 %
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 75%
  • Inventory value reduction of 9%
  • 52 staff members successfully completed an online, MRP, Planning & Inventory Optimisation competency assessments
Time to value realisation
6 months

Manufacturing

Medical Equipment Manufacturing (USA, UK & Germany)

Programme
MRP Optimisation Bootcamps
Brief

Improve integration (globally) between factories, procurement and suppliers.

Success
  • Data accuracy improvement of 48%
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 60%
  • 12 staff members successfully completed an online, MRP competency assessment
Time to value realisation
6 months

Building Materials Manufacturing (South Africa)

Programme
MRP Optimisation Programme for Maintenance Spares
Brief

Reduce working capital by at least 10% at 4 decentralised, production facility warehouses across the country.

Success
  • Data accuracy improvement of  57%
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 44%
  • Inventory value reduction of 10%
  • Reduced dead stock by 8%
  • Certified 10 staff in SweetThorn's Business Maturity Optimisation methodology
Time to value realisation
8 months

Medical Equipment Manufacturing (USA)

Programme
Purchasing Benchmarking & Leading Practices Bootcamps
Brief

Equip a centralised leadership team to use SAP’s MRP and Working Capital tools facilitate optimisation of manufacturing and distribution operations located in 50 countries.

Time to value realisation
2 months

Mining

Mining Company (South Africa)

Programme
Supply Chain Optimisation Programme for Maintenance Spares
Brief

Ensure the effective use of MRP associated with maintenance across 19 mines, smelters and associated warehouses across the country.

Success
  • Data accuracy improvement of 71 %
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 78%
  • Inventory value reduction of 8%
Time to value realisation
12 months

Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)

FMCG Manufacturing & Distribution (South Africa)

Programme
MRP Implementation Programme
Brief

Implement MRP for finished goods, raw and packaging materials for two factories and two distribution centres

Success
  • Data accuracy improvement of  46%
  • Supply chain bottleneck reduction of 76%
  • Inventory value reduction of 8% across the 4 sites
  • Certified 9 staff in SweetThorn's Business Maturity Optimisation methodology
Time to value realisation
14 months

FCMG Manufacturing (South America)

Programme
Supply Chain Optimisation Bootcamps
Brief

Facilitate and increase the use of standard SAP tools and reports to lay a foundation to improve planning execution of direct and indirect production materials across 6 regions.

Time to value realisation
4 weeks

© SweetThorn Thought Leadership
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions