Demand Management Team
In September of 2013 New Berlin Plastics implemented the Demand Management Team, comprised of Director of Manufacturing, Purchasing Manager, and Demand Manager, as part of a major organizational restructuring. The team provides comprehensive coordination of the customer demand, material sourcing, manufacturing, and shipping chain to create efficient product flow that optimizes material purchasing, manufacturing, customer satisfaction, competiveness, and profitability. How does this benefit our customers? The team generates improved on-time delivery, increased order efficiency, and opportunities for cost reduction.
The Demand Management Team has improved coordination between purchasing, manufacturing, and scheduling departments through better communication. In order to maximize efficiency of our operations, the Team examines run schedules, purchasing requirements, and customer needs at weekly production meetings and daily reviews. By working closely they’re able to increase responsiveness to customer demand, combine runs, and improve machine availability. This leads to reduced lead times, on-time delivery, and room for flexible scheduling.
The Demand Management Team is involved from the order to shipping which gives them the ability to collect a wide range of data concerning order, production, and supply chain behavior. This data is organized and analyzed using IQMS, a powerful ERP system. Purchasing Manager at New Berlin Plastics, says “I’ve worked with 14 different ERP systems, and IQMS is the best one I’ve used.” This powerful tool, combined with Crystal Reports and a schedule report written by our Demand Manager, allows New Berlin Plastics to develop accurate three month rolling forecasts which help ensure that we meet or beat our customers’ required lead and delivery times. With more accurate forecasts of our demand requirements, we can ensure that proper materials are available, and produce more accurate and stable schedules which lead to fewer short term changes in production.