Optimas experts walked the floor for two of EZI Metales’ production lines to analyse inventory levels, part consumption and the inventory management process. The team uncovered improvement opportunities for labour usage, inventory count and part deployment.
Focusing first on streamlining the supply chain, Optimas decided to store inventory in its local warehouse just seven minutes away from the EZI Metales plant. This ensured part availability even in times of unforeseen market volatility and eliminated the use of multiple suppliers for the same components.
Next, Optimas implemented an inventory management programme for both production lines that combined a Kanban system with the OptiBeam VMI barcode scanning solution. The Optimas Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program helped EZI Metales set optimum part minimum/maximum values to ensure production flow, automate inventory replenishment and provide visibility of its part consumption.
Having this control system also reduced inventory levels and minimised risk of excess and obsolete parts. As a result, Optimas streamlined the supply base by 20%, reduced on-hand inventory by 45%, saved 540 hours of annual labour costs and eliminated manual POs.
Rogelio Martínez, materials manager at EZI Metales, said: “By partnering with Optimas, I now have control and full visibility of our inventory, which allows me to make the right decision at the right time. I also have the ability to focus my team on those tasks where we can really make a difference.”
