Nestle has completed a trial of a ground-breaking supply
chain project which has allowed suppliers to view its production
information and ensure it can meet fluctuations in demand for its
products.
The project has seen the consumer goods giant connect its Newcastle
plant to its packaging supplier SCA, allowing a direct link between
the SAP systems of the two companies. This means that SCA is
automatically and instantly notified of Nestle's packaging
requirements.
Last week the two companies completed the final stages in the
£200,000 project, which uses internet data standard XCBL to link
the supply chains of the two companies.
Roger Thomas, e-procurement manager for Nestle, said the move was
expected to remove about 20% of excess stock from its supply chain.
When rolled out to all Nestle's 10 UK plants and connected to its
12 suppliers, it would save about £650,000 per year in time and
stock reductions, the company estimated. Similar plans are afoot
for all Nestle's European operations.
Previously such transactions were carried out by fax and
phone.
Simon Bragg, an analyst with ARC Consulting, said other companies
were also looking at using similar technology.
"People are starting to share stock levels in order to manage
production. It allows you to achieve predictability of demand;
forecasting is either lucky or wrong."
This method of allowing suppliers to view customer systems and
supply as necessary is called supplier-managed inventory and is in
the early stages of adoption in manufacturing companies. In the
Nestle-SCA link-up all stages of production and supply, from
planning to finance, are shared between the companies.
Thomas said, "It has brought the supplier nearer in time to where
Nestle's demand is. It gives both parties one version of the truth
and allows us to take the right decisions quickly. We can keep
customer service levels high. We can respond quickly to promotions,
or to fluctuations in sales."
Nestle and SCA use software and hosting from Cpgmarket.com - a
joint venture between Danone, Henkel, Nestle and SAP.