Casco drives efficiency with QAD supply chain portal

Casco IT director Maurice Schaefer says that the firm has been running with lean manufacturing principles for years, but that, with facilities on five continents, optimising supplier operations has been a challenge. He explains that the on-demand web portal application will allow Casco and its suppliers to share real-time visibility of demand and supply, communicating data on inventory, scheduling, shipments, invoices etc. He also says that Casco and its suppliers expect to improve performance by reducing costs, including freight and inventory, while also improving service levels and compliance, and eliminating supply chain disruptions. "Our decision on QAD Supply Chain Portal was a natural choice for us," says Schaefer. "It will allow us to focus on value-added activities, instead of expediting and routing issues. Additionally, the ASN [advanced shipping notice] function will help us leverage EDI." He points to the portal dashboards and automatic alert tools, for example, which will, he says, give internal purchasing personnel and suppliers more information and flexibility to manage by exception. "Supply Chain Portal is an optimal tool for helping us manage Kanban more efficiently," insists Schaefer. "We are looking to standardise our supplier labels for incoming product and offer a self-service option for invoicing. Its seamless integration with QAD's Lean Manufacturing suite is invaluable."