Kiva builds warehouse robots built better under integrated control

Kiva's director of finance Richard Thomley says: "Due to increased demand, we required an ERP system to help manage our production operations, including planning and scheduling, inventory management, production control and order management. "Infor ERP SyteLine is the ideal solution for us, because its flexibility and robust functionality enable us to plan production that meets our rapid growth without excess inventory and cost." That sounds like something Infor might have asked him to say – except that Kiva runs its production on a build-to-order model, which requires real-time knowledge of in-stock parts, in-process orders and current production capacity. ERP SyteLine, he says, helps shorten time to market through its forecasting and advanced planning and scheduling functionality – leading to reduced cycle times and bolstering customer service. Materials and inventory management functionality in ERP SyteLine also help the company to keep inventories low, while avoiding shortages. Infor channel partner Merittech, a full service manufacturing and technology consulting firm, helped Kiva implement the system in just 11 weeks.