Case study >

Material Availability at a Fortune 100 Manufacturer

January 8, 2025

KPIs

20-30%

Throughput Improvement

30-40%

Reduction in Missed Point of Use Events

30-40%

Improvement in Customer Commit Dates

Overview

A large division of a Fortune 100 vehicle manufacturer struggled with commitments from suppliers during a sudden demand spike. Suppliers faced high stress on capacity, leading to missed commitments, production schedule disruptions, and parts shortages at the point of use. This resulted in lost builds, reduced customer loyalty, and remarkably high expedite costs.

To address these challenges, TADA’s Material Availability App provided a single source of truth for part requirements, streamlining communication and enabling planners and suppliers to focus on delivering the right quantities at the right time.

Customer Challenges

Missed Point of Use and Commitments:

Critical parts were not available at the point of use, causing missed builds and production disruptions.

Disjointed Communication:

Planners, buyers, and suppliers relied on extensive internal and external communications to locate and expedite parts, leading to inefficiencies.

Dynamic Production Schedules:

The production schedule was frequently altered to manage parts shortages, further compounding inefficiencies.

Solution

TADA composed an AI-Enabled Digital Twin of the processes, connected it to relevant data from various existing systems, and then configured portals for each suppliers that allowed them to add their information directly. The next step was to create various persona-based applications that provided the following capabilities:

  • Real time views, customized by persona
  • Real time, automated supplier collaboration  
  • Material availability tracking and reporting  
  • Real time visibility into issues and constraints management  

Results

Enhanced Collaboration

Collaborate and communicate part needs based on schedule.

Streamlined Communication

Eliminate multiple sources of communication and confusion on execution demand

Increased Planner Efficiency

Empowering planners to focus on value-added tasks, freeing them from chasing answers.

“Material Availability App is saving us at least 2 hours daily because we don’t have to chase data from multiple sources.”
– Factory Material Planner
“So, I can stop spreadsheets now? Great! We use Material Availability App to schedule our factory production to make sure we produce what our final assembly plant truly needs.”
– Supplier

Conclusion

Once implemented, TADA’s Material Availability App automated communication between suppliers and the OEM, increased visibility, and enabled the company to streamline its operations. By providing a single source of truth, the app ensured that the right parts were available at the right time, improving customer commitments and operational efficiency.