CASE STUDY
Querying ERP Data in Natural Language for Instant Order and Inventory Visibility, and 55% Improved Collaboration
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 defence markets. When AIE’s purchasing, production and management teams struggled with order delays and internal communication bottlenecks due to a lack of order visibility and the time-consuming process of navigating and extracting complex ERP data, they turned to Kavida for help.
Industry
Aerospace
Manufacturer size
11-50
Location
Lichfield, United Kingdom
Website
The Challenges
AIE’s purchasing and production workflows were hampered by difficulties manually navigating a complex ERP system, inefficient data analysis processes, and significant internal communication bottlenecks. This was time-consuming and left them at high risk of costly production switching, rescheduling and downtime.
- Difficulties Navigating ERP for Inventory & Order Data
AIE’s purchasing and production teams found the ERP system challenging to navigate, which also required significant time and training for new users. The complexity of the system made data input and retrieval time-consuming when identifying order information or making decisions around inventory. - Time-Consuming Supplier & Order Data Analysis
ERPs hold an immense amount of data but conducting any form of data analysis to get visibility on incoming orders, current stock level, documents etc. was a highly manually process, requiring teams to navigate multiple ERP screens, extract and then manipulate the data on spreadsheets. Determining which suppliers to use was another cumbersome process, which required manually obtaining data and a lot of human expertise. - Cross – Departmental Bottlenecks
These manual workflows resulted in poor order visibility that impacted AIE’s purchasing teams, production and management. They had significant internal communication bottlenecks, leading to further inefficiencies and delays in decision-making.
“You are literally just able to stick the copilot in front of somebody and say, just ask it a question and they get an answer. It’s incredible.”
Nathan Bailey
Managing Director
“You don’t have to train people… They are able just to use natural language to query a system and get the information that are required and then ask additional questions onto it. That is huge.”
Nathan Bailey
Managing Director
Solution
AIE needed an efficient post-PO management solution to manage their manual workflows, eliminate internal communication siloes and to help with improved inventory visibility. That’s where Kavida stepped in.
- Querying ERP Data in Natural Language
The integration of Kavida’s platform allows AIE’s team to easily query ERP data using natural language without having to navigate a complex ERP system. This made data accessible to everyone, improving efficiency across the organization. For example, team members could simply ask, “How many metal bars do we have in stock?” instead of sifting through multiple ERP tables for this information. Kavida’s platform also enables teams to generate real-time data reports on suppliers, orders and stock, which allows them to analyse and aggregate historical data to drive faster decisions across supplier selection (for example, recognising optimal suppliers for different parts). - Real-Time Insights Using Order Information to Prevent Stockouts
The platform provides real-time and historical data on orders and inventory, enabling AIE to make informed decisions quickly. Team members could easily ask the Copilot questions like, “What is the current status of order X?” or “Are there any expected shortages for material A?” Additionally, they can handle potential stockouts by querying, “How should I handle this material stockout?” and the platform would use historical data on suppliers to generate options that would enable faster decision-making around placing an order or transferring stock from another warehouse. - Production Planners Bypassing Procurement for Data Visibility
The platform enables stakeholders to query their ERP data using natural language (no ERP knowledge or training needed) to get the insights they need. This reduced the need for back-and-forth internal communication and break-in-flow states, enabling improved collaboration across departments.
