FlexNet Lean Material Flow from Apriso

Address Lean initiatives beyond the shop floor

Based on best practices accrued over a long history of designing and implementing Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) solutions, FlexNet Lean Material Flow™ from Apriso represents a highly advanced solution for those manufacturers already well versed in the practices of Lean and Kaizen.  Offering a truly unique perspective on extending the benefits of Lean into material management processes, FlexNet Lean Material Flow virtually eliminates the need for warehousing of raw or finished goods, providing a collection of pre-configured industry best practices to streamline operations and optimize manufacturing agility.

FlexNet Lean Material Flow provides an “out-of-the-box” solution ready for implementation.  This platform-based solution comprises select FlexNet^® components, including inventory tracking, quality execution and logistics management, into a single solution.  Defined as a set of business processes for the management of material flows within companies pursuing Lean manufacturing models, FlexNet Lean Material Flow creates custom bar code labels for individual bins, boxes or pallets.  Materials can be more accurately tracked, in real-time, providing global visibility and control to efficiently manage and streamline material flows.  Manage Work in Process (WIP) from receiving through production, quality, finished goods assembly and final customer shipment. 

This innovative solution helps pull material flows through your plants.  As demand shifts, so too does the pace and product mix of the rest of your plant, reducing waste across not only production, but each of your material and quality inspection processes too.

Drive Lean to a new advanced level

FlexNet Lean Material Flow is an ideal complement to those manufacturers already familiar with the processes and benefits of Lean.  In fact, you may have already managed to eliminate the need for warehouse operations based on your existing systems and Kaizen employee philosophy.  FlexNet Lean Material Flow was designed as an advanced manufacturing solution, one that addresses the subtle nuances of Lean material flows to drive new levels of efficiency, bringing incremental benefits to your manufacturing processes.

FlexNet Lean Material Flow is a highly flexible solution that can grow with your operations to deliver continuous productivity improvement.  Those manufacturers seeking to initially reduce inventory levels within their warehouse operations, as part of their goal of expanding Lean into the warehouse, might first consider implementing FlexNet WMS for Manufacturing.

FlexNet Lean Material Flow from Apriso supports Lean by:

• Synchronizing materials, production and finished goods with Just-In-Time (JIT) and Kanban techniques to produce to demand
• Measuring performance across material, quality, and production processes
• Enforcing a Kaizen philosophy with process improvements through Business Process Management (BPM), so people don’t fall back on bad habits
• Integrating labeling and packaging as part of the process, eliminating errors and improving overall productivity

These four attributes help to reduce inventory and work-in-process (WIP) buffers to improve cycle times.  Your resulting operations can become more demand-driven, capable of faster response and greater agility to the ever changing ‘end consumer’ requirements.