Case Study: Automated Reporting and Rapid Order Fulfillment

Background

A leading manufacturer specializing in molds for the automotive industry utilizes a Vertical Lift Module (VLM) to house a high volume of vendor-managed inventory (VMI). With over 2,200 unique items stored, the primary challenge was the inefficient manual tracking of stock levels and the time-consuming process of coordinating urgent part requests between the production floor and the warehouse.

ItemPath was selected to implement an automated execution engine for reporting and a real-time notification system to ensure seamless communication and continuous material flow.

The Challenge: Inefficient Manual Tracking and Communication Delays

In a high-precision manufacturing environment, any delay in material availability can halt the production of complex automotive molds. The manufacturer faced two distinct operational hurdles that relied on physical movement rather than digital data:

• Manual Reporting: Every item used from the VLM required manual tracking. Weekly reports had to be manually compiled and sent to vendors to ensure replenishment, a process that carried a constant risk of human error.
• Inefficient Floor-to-Warehouse Coordination: When engineers on the floor required high-priority fixtures, they often had to leave their stations and walk across the facility to request an order be created in the warehouse system. This reactive process risked production delays and failed to maximize the efficiency of the VLM hardware.

The Solution: Automated Execution and Visual Alerts

ItemPath delivered a strategic solution that established a resilient data foundation and an automated execution engine for both vendor management and internal fulfillment.

Utilizing the Reports tool paired with the Workflows feature, the system now automatically tracks every item used from the VLM.

• Weekly Automation: Two specific reports are generated and emailed to the vendor autonomously: one for items used and one for items remaining.
• Precision Filtering: Reports are customized to specify only transactions that have not yet been exported, ensuring the vendor receives accurate, actionable data.

To bridge the gap between the production floor and the warehouse, ItemPath implemented a digital request system, leveraging the Lights app

• Remote Order Builder: Engineers open a browser from their workstations to create orders for needed fixtures instantly.
• Visual Notification Signal: When an order is marked as a "Hot Pick," it populates a customized report, which instantly triggers an automated workflow, prompting a Philips Hue light near the VLM to turn red. This allows the warehouse team to immediately pause other tasks and assemble the urgent order.

The Results: Enhanced Visibility and Optimized Labor

By leveraging ItemPath, the manufacturer successfully established a robust, highly automated framework for their daily operations.