Running Lean requires extending materials flow to internal and external suppliers through Electronic Kanban. To enable real-time coordination on demand-pull changes, Pelion customers leverage an Internet portal that facilitates rapid response for replenishment to significantly reduce lead times.

Electronic Kanban can be extended downstream to the manufacturer’s distribution network as well to manage inventory based on finished goods right sizing. The portal tracks fulfillment performance to ensure that factory mix and volume are meeting customer demand effectively.

Problems We Solve

"We suffer when our suppliers can't deliver what we need, when we need it."
“We need our suppliers to react quicker to changes in our production demands.”
“Our buyers are really expeditors. They should be planning more and improving our costs.”
“I’ve got too many kanban cards to manage effectively. We lose them, and it takes too long to make changes to them.”
“We send parts out to subcontractors and then lose visibility of them.”
“We have small suppliers that don’t have an EDI or ERP capability. I wish I could communicate with them better than just emails and faxes.”
“We’ve failed to control our kanbans well because we have poor linkage to our back office ERP systems.”
“We need a better way to measure the performance of our suppliers.”
“What are my top ten supply issues that need to be addressed this week – and next?”
“We know we have the parts on order, but where are they?”
“We waste a lot of time and money communicating ineffectively with our suppliers.”
"We need faster material replenishment, based on customer demands."
"Our forecast is never right. Our demands change frequently with a ripple effect on our internal requirements and suppliers. Don’t Toyota and Dell have the same problems to manage?"
"We need to better predict what our material needs are, so we can plan our shipments better."
“If we only had the parts – we could do anything!”

Benefits We Provide

Reduce Material Shortages
Reduce Replenishment Lead Times
Improve Visibility of Materials in the Supply Chain
Increase Supplier Consistency and Response to Demand Changes
Improve Collaboration – with Suppliers, Sister Plants, and Sub-Contractors
Optimize Finished Goods Mix to Reduce Shortages
Increase Finished Goods Inventory Turns