CASE STUDY
Aerospace Manufacturer Reduces Idle Inventory by 95%, Saving Hours on Quality Documentation
AIE specializes in the design and development of Wankel-type rotary engines for Aerospace, Automotive, and Marine applications. AIE creates high power-to-weight ratio propulsion systems for civil and defense markets. When AIE’s purchasing team needed an efficient post-PO management solution to ensure document compliance and, consequently, prevent production delays, they turned to Kavida for help.
Industry
Aerospace
Manufacturer size
11-50
Location
Lichfield, United Kingdom
Website
Challenges
Their post PO workflows relied on manual methods like spreadsheets and emails for complex document management and supplier follow-ups, which was time-consuming and left them at high risk of goods unable to be used for production due to missing documents.
- Manual identification of required documents
The process of identifying which quality documents are required for each purchase order line was manual and labor-intensive. This involved AIE’s team combing through ERP data to understand the specific documentation needs based on the part and supplier. Documentation requirements also change frequently over time depending on quality norms, which required constant monitoring and updates from the team. - Time-consuming documentation follow-up and management
Ensuring that all necessary documents like material certificates, test reports, performance certifications and quality certifications were received on time required extensive back-and-forth communication between AIE’s purchasing team, their quality team, and their suppliers. This manual follow-up process took up to 70% of AIE’s purchasing team’s day and was prone to delays, leading to goods sitting idle and not being used for production. Once received, AIE’s purchasing team had to manually scan and upload large volumes of documents to the ERP system, which was also time-consuming. - Goods received but not in stock
Manual workflows to manage documentation requirements for thousands of orders increased the risk of oversight. Delays to getting the required documentation in on time often resulted in goods received, but not in stock and materials were unable to be used.
“The end-to-end flow means right from the beginning of initiating the request for the documentation right through to that document being uploaded into the ERP system, Kavida manages that entire process. It’s a very streamlined, automated, low-touch system.”
Nathan Bailey
Managing Director
“To actually put the requirements of documentation to the supplier through the system and then request the documentation through the system, and automatically import them into our ERP system obviously saves huge amounts of time.”
Nathan Bailey
Managing Director
Solution
AIE needed an efficient post-PO management solution to manage complex documentation requirements, reduce excessive time spent identifying required documents, following up with suppliers, and reduce goods sitting idle. That’s where Kavida stepped in.
- Automated identification of required documents
Kavida integrated with AIE’s ERP system to dynamically determine the necessary documentation required for each purchase order and line item. By analyzing specific material and supplier information, the system identifies which documents are required, eliminating the need for manual data combing or the possibility of documentation requirements being missed. - Automated document follow-up, verification & uploading to ERP
Kavida digitized AIE’s end-to-end document flow. Once required documents are determined, the system automatically sends requests to suppliers to get all documents 3 days prior to the order delivery date. Received documents are then analysed and, depending on the document, directly sent to the relevant procurement or quality teams to be verified. This eliminated the need for extensive back-and-forth communication with suppliers and internal stakeholders to coordinate on immense documentation requirements. Documents are then pushed back into the ERP, reducing the need for manual scanning and uploading. - Real-time alerts to manage by exception
Kavida provides real-time updates and alerts for missing or incomplete documentation, and expired certifications. The system continuously monitors the status of required documents for each PO and notifies the team of any issues immediately, allowing AIE’s purchasing team to take a proactive approach to document compliance, preventing goods from sitting idle.
