Canadian unit of GE deploying forecasting and planning solution from Smart Software as part of procurement system to acquire, manage spares
Belmont, MA — June 10, 2005 — GE Aircraft Engines Canada has purchased a demand forecasting and planning solution from Smart Software as part of an initiative to increase demand forecast accuracy and help improve the management of hard-to-forecast spare parts inventories.
In addition to the GE unit, Canada's Domtar, the third largest producer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America, also has purchased Smart Software's flagship product, SmartForecasts Enterprise, for use in a similar initiative.
Smart said that SmartForecasts meets the specific needs of spare parts management with its technology for accurately forecasting items with intermittent, or slow moving, demand and optimizing safety stock requirements.
Increasing Service Levels at GE
GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE), a business unit of GE Transportation (GET), will use SmartForecasts as part of a procurement system for the acquisition and inventory management of spare parts at its Bromont, Quebec facility. This facility manufactures high-quality fan and compressor airfoils (blades) for several aircraft engines. With annual sales in excess of $15 billion, GET is a leading manufacturer of jet engines for civilian and military aircraft, as well as products and services for the rail, marine and off-highway industries.
"Having the right parts available when they are needed is critical to our business and that of our customers," said Benoit Cloutier, director of finance at GET Canada. "We expect that SmartForecasts will help us improve our forecasting and spare parts inventory management and enable us to increase our service levels to better meet the needs of our customers and internal users."
Minimizing Inventory Investment at Domtar
Domtar, a $4 billion paper manufacturer with 12,000 employees in North America, plans to implement SmartForecasts at its Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Quebec, facility in spring 2005. With the help of SmartForecasts, the company is looking to reduce its spare parts inventory in a significant manner.
"SmartForecasts is an excellent fit for our requirements," said Guy Tremblay, vice president of procurement at Domtar. "It will help us achieve our service level goals with a minimum inventory investment, even for parts with intermittent demand."
Smart Software's Canadian reseller, IMAFS, of Montreal, was instrumental in making the sales to GEAE and Domtar, according to Smart. IMAFS also will provide these firms with additional consulting services to integrate SmartForecasts with its IMAFS-PRO inventory management system and support the combined solution.
IMAFS, a software development and consulting firm founded in 2000, provides businesses with comprehensive demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization solutions that are powered by the SmartForecasts system.
Additional Articles of Interest
— For more information on demand planning and forecasting, see the analyst articles in the April/May 2004 and February/March 2005 issues of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
— For an in-depth look at how agribusiness Syngenta is reducing inventory while maintaining customer service levels by building a demand planning process based on a collaborative forecasting solution, see the SDCExec.com article " Forecasting Processes from the Ground Up ."
— Demand planners at glove manufacturer Wells Lamont have put their finger on a way to bring new value to the company by leveraging technology that allows them to plan by exception. Read their story in the article " Planning by Exception," in the December 2004/January 2005 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
Belmont, MA — June 10, 2005 — GE Aircraft Engines Canada has purchased a demand forecasting and planning solution from Smart Software as part of an initiative to increase demand forecast accuracy and help improve the management of hard-to-forecast spare parts inventories.
In addition to the GE unit, Canada's Domtar, the third largest producer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America, also has purchased Smart Software's flagship product, SmartForecasts Enterprise, for use in a similar initiative.
Smart said that SmartForecasts meets the specific needs of spare parts management with its technology for accurately forecasting items with intermittent, or slow moving, demand and optimizing safety stock requirements.
Increasing Service Levels at GE
GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE), a business unit of GE Transportation (GET), will use SmartForecasts as part of a procurement system for the acquisition and inventory management of spare parts at its Bromont, Quebec facility. This facility manufactures high-quality fan and compressor airfoils (blades) for several aircraft engines. With annual sales in excess of $15 billion, GET is a leading manufacturer of jet engines for civilian and military aircraft, as well as products and services for the rail, marine and off-highway industries.
"Having the right parts available when they are needed is critical to our business and that of our customers," said Benoit Cloutier, director of finance at GET Canada. "We expect that SmartForecasts will help us improve our forecasting and spare parts inventory management and enable us to increase our service levels to better meet the needs of our customers and internal users."
Minimizing Inventory Investment at Domtar
Domtar, a $4 billion paper manufacturer with 12,000 employees in North America, plans to implement SmartForecasts at its Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Quebec, facility in spring 2005. With the help of SmartForecasts, the company is looking to reduce its spare parts inventory in a significant manner.
"SmartForecasts is an excellent fit for our requirements," said Guy Tremblay, vice president of procurement at Domtar. "It will help us achieve our service level goals with a minimum inventory investment, even for parts with intermittent demand."
Smart Software's Canadian reseller, IMAFS, of Montreal, was instrumental in making the sales to GEAE and Domtar, according to Smart. IMAFS also will provide these firms with additional consulting services to integrate SmartForecasts with its IMAFS-PRO inventory management system and support the combined solution.
IMAFS, a software development and consulting firm founded in 2000, provides businesses with comprehensive demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization solutions that are powered by the SmartForecasts system.
Additional Articles of Interest
— For more information on demand planning and forecasting, see the analyst articles in the April/May 2004 and February/March 2005 issues of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
— For an in-depth look at how agribusiness Syngenta is reducing inventory while maintaining customer service levels by building a demand planning process based on a collaborative forecasting solution, see the SDCExec.com article " Forecasting Processes from the Ground Up ."
— Demand planners at glove manufacturer Wells Lamont have put their finger on a way to bring new value to the company by leveraging technology that allows them to plan by exception. Read their story in the article " Planning by Exception," in the December 2004/January 2005 issue of Supply & Demand Chain Executive.
- More articles about Smart Software.
