Solution Synopsis :: Supply Chain Management

The following are selections from application integration projects executed by Symmetry. This synopsis summarizes solution highlights and salient information. Detailed case studies with solution details are available on request.

Three-way Automated EDI

Symmetry’s client, a wholesaler dealing in industrial weighing scales, wanted to automate the entire supply EDI Solution map chain process. This process, originated with the receipt of drop-ship sales orders from their retailers. The material requirements from all sales orders in a day are consolidated into a single purchase order which is forwarded to the manufacturer for fulfillment. Shipment notices sent by the manufacturer are forwarded to the receiving warehouse. When the warehouse ships the sales order to the retailer’s customer, the retailer is updated with the tracking information. Symmetry’s Three-way EDI automated this complete process starting with the creation of the sales orders by the retailer. Symmetry’s Three-Way EDI application transmits the sales orders to the wholesaler and also creates the sales orders in the wholesaler’s ERP system. At scheduled hours, all stock requirements are consolidated into a single purchase order which is transmitted to the manufacturer. Simultaneously, the details of every sales order is forwarded to the warehouse for shipment as and when the items become available. When a shipping notice is received from the warehouse, the retailer is automatically invoiced and notified of the shipment.

Stock Transfer and Tracking

A regional retail chain for specialty products, the client had a centralized warehousing and distribution system. The mid-tier ERP system used by the client did not offer extensive functionality for distribution. Symmetry built a stock transfer and tracking system with features for raising stock transfer requests, multi-part shipments, shipment tracking, recording physical receipts and alerts for discrepancies. The application interacts with the client’s ERP to extract item and stock area information and updates stock status with each movement.

Integration with Ingram Micro

The client, a large retailer of computer hardware products, used SAP Business One as their ERP system. The client sourced products from Ingram Micro and required that the product database in SAP Business One was updated with real-time prices and stock availability from Ingram Micro. Symmetry developed a utility that sends price and availability requests to Ingram Micro and updates the SAP Business One database with the response from Ingram Micro. This utility also sends order status requests and updates the ERP with shipment status of orders placed on Ingram Micro.

Application Integration