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Engineering and Automation

Supply Chain Management (SCM) Process
 
This service encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management activities. The whole process will be integrated with an ERP system that will coordinate and collaborate with the client’s channel partners, which can be suppliers, intermediaries, third-party service providers, and customers. The SCM model will cover the following areas within Bahwan Logistics Park (BLP).


Distribution Network Configuration: Number, location and network missions of suppliers, production facilities, distribution centers, warehouses, cross-docks and customers.
Distribution Strategy: Including questions of operating control (centralized, decentralized or shared); delivery scheme (e.g., direct shipment, pool point shipping, Cross docking, DSD (direct store delivery), closed loop shipping); mode of transportation (e.g., motor carrier, including truckload, LTL, parcel; railroad (if applicable), ocean freight; airfreight); replenishment strategy (e.g., pull, push or hybrid); and transportation control (e.g., owner-operated, private carrier, common carrier, contract carrier, or 3PL).
Information: Integration of and other processes through the supply chain to share valuable information, including demand signals, forecasts, inventory, transportation, and potential collaboration etc.
Inventory Management: Quantity and location of inventory including raw materials, work-in-process and finished goods.
Cash-Flow: Arranging the payment terms and the methodologies for exchanging funds across entities within the supply chain.
 
SCM Activities:
Several models will be proposed for understanding the activities required to manage material movements across organizational and functional boundaries. All activities will be grouped into strategic, tactical, and operational levels of activities.
 
Strategic:
  • Strategic network optimization, including the number, location, and size of warehouses, distribution centers and facilities.
  • Strategic partnership with suppliers, distributors, and customers, creating communication channels for critical information and operational improvements such as cross docking, direct shipping, and third-party logistics.
  • Product-design coordination, so that new and existing products can be optimally integrated into the supply chain, load management.
  • Information Technology infrastructure, to support supply chain operations.
  • Where-to-make and what-to-make-or-buy decisions.
  • Aligning overall organizational strategy with supply strategy.

Tactical:
  • Sourcing contracts and other purchasing decisions.
  • Production and assembly decisions, including contracting, locations, scheduling, and planning process definition.
  • Inventory decisions, including quantity, location, and quality of inventory.
  • Transportation strategy, including frequency, routes, and contracting.
  • Benchmarking of all operations against competitors and implementation of best practices throughout the enterprise.
  • Milestone payments.
  • Focus on end customer demand.

Operational:
  • Daily production or assembly and distribution planning, including all nodes in the supply chain.
  • Production scheduling for manufacturing facilities in the supply chain on a real time basis.
  • Demand planning and forecasting, coordinating the demand forecast of all end customers and sharing the forecast with all suppliers.
  • Sourcing planning, including current inventory and forecast demand, in collaboration with all suppliers.
  • Inbound operations, including transportation from suppliers and receiving inventory.
  • Production operations, including the consumption of materials and flow of finished goods.
  • Outbound operations, including all fulfillment activities and transportation to customers.
  • Order promising, accounting for all constraints in the supply chain, including all suppliers, manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and other customers.
  • Returns management.
 
iPartner will analyze critical points in the business process to implement a successful SCM system:
  • Customer service management.
  • Procurement.
  • Product development and commercialization.
  • Manufacturing flow management/support.
  • Physical distribution.
  • Outsourcing/partnerships.
  • Performance measurement.
     
    Material Management Systems 
  • Design on-line materials management information system (MMIS) for authorized users to obtain and/or update the status of all materials through ERP or WMS.
  • A system design will be used for configuration and management for Electronic Data Interchange, Failure Tracking and Operational Use Recording, Materials and Inventory Management, MMIS Process, Parametric Data, Project Setup, Reporting Systems and Work Flow.
  • Based on the inventory analysis, iPartner will plan and design the internal requirements for physical management of a client’s operation. The results will be the basis for defining an optimum system requirement for BLP. 
    The design will provide suggestions for physical operations, with the basic tools and techniques listed below

¬ Handling Equipments
¬ Labeling Equipment
¬ Pallet Flow Equipment
¬ Palletizing Equipment
¬ Shelving Equipment
¬ Storage Rack Equipment
¬ Storage & Retrieval Equipment
¬ Workstation Equipment
¬ Profiling & Slotting Systems
¬ Pallets & containers
¬ Case- & pallet-handling conveyors & controls
¬ Dynamic & semi-automatic stacker cranes
¬ Warehouse control technology & hardware
¬ Radio Frequency Identification Systems (RFID) compliance & Integration of the inventory

The level of advancement and sophistication of the systems will depend on the business requirements of the client and the Scalability of the solutions will be kept in mind while planning the system.
 
Warehouse Engineering Consultancy:

Warehouse Engineering understands the needs in the internal design of the infrastructure. This will cover various aspects in operational, administrative, governmental, safety and other considerations that must be addressed. Recommendations and necessary support will be provided to the civil contractor(s) in designing of the internal features of the warehouse that include structural dimensions, electro-mechanical works etc. throughout project completion.

Suggestions in operations point of view
  • Electrical power distribution systems
  • Fire protection systems
  • Assembly or manufacturing systems
  • Allocation of equipments, racking slots, load-bays and conveyor
  • Space management for single and multi-utility facets.
Suggestions in engineering point of view
  • Workshops and dock station Installation drawings and other specifications
  • Review requirements for purchased system hardware and control materials
  • Review requirements for mechanical or structural project components
 
Suggestions in governmental point of view
  • Suggestions to environmental technologies and eco-friendly systems
  • Suggestions for improvement in compliance with government issues to meet required codes and/or specifications.

 
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