Implementation of demand planning software, JIT System, broader RFID capabilities improves overall inventory management experience for customers

Optimas Solutions, a global industrial manufacturer, distributor, and service provider, announced it has made technology and process automation upgrades to its inventory management solutions used by customers to help improve an already stressed supply chain. Improvements implemented over the last 12 months have focused on technology enhancements, process automation changes, and contactless delivery protocols.

“The pace of business and delivery expectations for fasteners, C-Class components, and indirect consumables have increased significantly in the last year,” said Daniel Harms, president of the Americas for Optimas Solutions. “This new dynamic for manufacturers and distributors is grounded on unprecedented demand coming out of the COVID-19 disruption and subsequent economic reawakening. We anticipated this change and made  improvements in inventory management to adapt to this customer demand.”

According to the latest 2021 Thomas State of North American Manufacturing Report, 83% of manufacturers are planning to add North American suppliers to their supply chains within a year. This is a significant increase from 54% in March 2020. Daily challenges around inventory availability, lead times, and delivery schedules have become the norm for all levels of customers.

“In a market environment where ‘inventory is the new king,’ timing, efficiency, and organization have never been more critical,” Harms stressed. “It’s these three characteristics of supply chains that call for inventory management solutions like ours that simplify and automate the process of replenishing high-volume parts.”

According to Harms, Optimas is focused on two sides of the equation to improve inventory management – the front-end collection of a variety of customer data that paints a clear picture of what’s needed to meet future demand mapped to supply chain partners’ inventory availability and production capabilities. The intersection of these two data sets fosters smart decisions about replenishment quantities.

“Having a true understanding of demand and supply is the chief factor of our data driven approach,” Harms emphasized. “This type of sophistication and analysis enable us to collaboratively optimize planning, fulfillment, and financial investments for replenishing parts at smart manufacturers of all sizes.” 

“This delicate balance of consumption and delivery, highly influenced by transportation timing is critical to successful, efficient customer inventory management,” said Paul Przyby, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Optimas Americas. “We have applied some of the best technology and thinking in the industry to our inventory management system. This gives customers the most valuable insight possible into their inventory and closes the gap between suppliers, distributors, and manufacturing customers.”

Optimas’ innovative OptiTech inventory management solutions use the latest technology to automate inventory replenishment. A secure, cloud-based just-in-time platform receives and processes orders from any OptiTech Solution with scanning and barcode technology, scale systems using weight capacity, and RFID. RFID is becoming more pervasive because it offers a higher degree of accuracy. In fact, RFID increases inventory accuracy from an average of 65 percent to more than 95 percent. “More and more, customers are accepting the use of RFID as an investment for increasing sales,” Przyby said.

According to Przyby, Optimas has a very skilled and experienced Demand Planning Team whose sole responsibility is to work with customers  and ensure the company delivers accurate inventory forecasting and replenishment based on historical data, trends, and known upcoming events. “The team has been around for quite some time, but they have been empowered even more today with AI-based systems and technology that make customers and us smarter.” Przyby said.