RoadToSee

Demand, Production planning and scheduling organizations assessment.

Based on users and their team leaders interviews, we establish a picture of the current processes. Of the skills of the team members. 
– General knowledge about planning. 
– Knowledge of the capacities an limitations of the existing tool. 
– Perception of the limits of current processes and vision on potential enhancements. 
Data quality assessment and theoretical reachable service levels with the assessed data quality.

Support in redesigning organizations adapted to APS’ implementation.

An APS implementation needs to reorganize the planning services. Actually if it is properly done the APS implementation should give more visibility and allow a more efficient use of the inventory. But very often roles and responsibilities must be redesigned. On top the KPIs should be reviewed and partially redesigned.

Target design support

Validation of the targets to reach when implementing an APS. 
Writing the requirement specifications with a wording comfortable for the APS Editors. 
Designing needed data preparation and cleansing prior to an APS implementation. 
Support in including data quality with newly created Chief Data Officer positions.

APS Editor selection workshops and process.

Our excellent knowledge of the APS market will help our customers preselecting a portfolio of APS that fills the expressed needs. It is difficult to find what is the truth in the commercial speeches. On top of that a lot of fashionable technologies or methods seem to solve all the problems (Digital, DDMRP, AI, IOT, Blockchain….) and a good knowledge of these will prevent investing in useless technologies. On top of that it is important to acquire the software that fits with your organization, no need to get a formula 1 if you drive on dusty roads !

Project management.

Project Management adapted to the level of complexity on the implementation of an APS project. Standard roles and milestones are suggested.

Test plan design.

Once the Editor has been selected and that project is kicked off, it is key to define a proper test plan in order to prevent a project stall when first deliverables are handed to the customer. At that moment misunderstanding starts to raise between customers and Editors. Ones claiming that nothing works and the other one stating that the data is not the expected one. These problems disappear with a well prepared test plan, and the benefits will be a clear vision on the progress of the deliveries and the quality provided by the editors.

Validating the delivered functions

Execution of the test plan and support of the Key users when they put hands on the system. 
Detailed results of the test with a proper wording to describe the problems found to editors and with accurate information and reporting.

Management of Change

Taking the users along the road to an efficient use of the APS. 
Working by exception instead of reviewing every single sku. 
How to accept a mathematical solver solution without understanding why it made such or such choice.

Implementation projects end are sometimes short in time and budget , that means that users ramp up might have been neglected.

Review of current use of the APS

Several months (at least six) after the implementation of the APS , users are used to the GUI and are able to express some improvements on the solution to speed up their day to day experience. At that moment we can listen to them and teach them how to take advantage of their tool and get all the power of it. 
It is also necessary to adjust the initial setup to the business as it is much more easy to make corrections rather than predictions during the design phase. 
Also key parameters update has to be reviewed. Target stocks, product classes, inventory policies….

Continuous improvement

Like any value adding process , the demand, production planning and scheduling organizations have to be regularly improved and challenged. We drive continuous improvement workshops inspired by lean manufacturing techniques (Kaizen) and we help our customers in defining the improvements, writing the specifications and even follow up the delivery and the implementation of the defined improvements.

You can contact us at contact@roadtosee.com or leave contact details on the below form.