"Of all the VMI systems we use, Datalliance is the only one that provides online information, charting and graphing to give us clear insight into the status and execution of our supply chain. When needed, we can drill down to the appropriate level to identify the cause of an inventory trend or issue. Our buyer and the manufacturer's planner can then collaborate on the most appropriate course of action." Rick Bumpus VP Operations North Coast Electric Company

Datalliance combines sophisticated VMI capabilities with advanced application design principles to deliver a solution that is both powerful and user-friendly.

Data Filtering and Validity Checks

Data Filtering and Validity Checks throughout the system power an exception-driven approach. Users are automatically alerted to potential problems without the need to wade through long, complicated reports. For instance:

Line item alerts point VMI planners to specific items that have exceeded pre-determined thresholds.

Validity checks confirm the quality of reported customer data.

Order point management highlights items for review where significant changes in order point have been experienced.

Some alerts are delivered daily; others are compiled for weekly evaluation.

Sophisticated Order Point and Order Quantity Calculations

Sophisticated Order Point and Order Quantity Calculations handle products with any combination of order frequency, rate of sale, and price point to ensure you always have the right product, at the right place, at the right time.

Order point calculations determine how many of each item needs to be stocked. Datalliance's order point calculation is unique. It divides items into 11 planning groups based on frequency-of-sale rather than rate-of-sale - a very important distinction today. In the world of decreasing lead times, there is a significant difference in an item that sells 2 every week and an item that sells 30 once per quarter.

Datalliance's order point calculation uses different methods of calculating safety stock based on the planning group. For fast selling items, Datalliance calculates safety stock based on a statistical analysis of the forecast error, thereby attributing more safety stock for items with highly fluctuating demand and less to those items with smooth demand.

For slower selling items, Datalliance calculates safety stock based on both rate-of-sale and the order size. This further refines the inventory level by making sure that items selling in multiples maintain that multiple in the inventory level.

Following the weekly recalculation of order points, Datalliance monitors for any wide swings in the order point and notifies the user when they occur. This alerts the user to unusual situations that have occurred during the previous week and allows them to help the system determine which spikes should be ignored as anomalies and which represent the beginning of a trend.

Data Transparency and Web-based Access

Data Transparency and Web-based Access provide both you and your customers with the information you need for truly collaborative supply chain management.

Since Datalliance is web enabled, a wealth of up-to-date information is always available. For example, any place an item is displayed (on reports or within recommended orders), full item details are available for review at the click of the mouse.

Datalliance includes a turn-key customer web portal. Customers have access to the same information VMI planners are using to drive inventory planning decisions so both can collaborate in real-time with the same information. By providing "one version of the truth", business decisions can be made with a higher degree of confidence.

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