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
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.