3 August 2010 - Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems - Components Europe (SEWS-CE), manufacturer of connector systems and electronic modules for the automotive industry, has selected advanced planning technology from INFORM to improve operational forecasting and financial budgeting.

With European headquarters in Staffordshire, SEWS supplies electronics and connector systems for cars and other motor vehicles, selling directly to both OEMs and tier one harness manufacturers in the automobile sector. SEWS will use INFORM's add*ONE Demand Planner to forecast global customer demand more accurately, in order to achieve efficiencies in supply chain operations.

The software will avoid wasted time spent on the forecasting process, which is currently done manually on spreadsheets. The add*ONE solution will provide a single set of figures across the company, which will be automatically updated with the latest market intelligence and predict demand fluctuations based on historical data. For example, SEWS would be able to predict the impact of a scrappage scheme in one country, based on the experience of another and budget to adjust resourcing levels accordingly.

Anthony Evans, general manager at SEWS-CE, says: "This will make forecasting demand from motor manufacturers much more accurate, which will bring our production levels more tightly in line with actual orders. Clearly we expect to see financial benefits as a result of a more efficient operation.

"The implementation will completely overhaul the way we work. One of the biggest attractions is having a single set of numbers and single system to work from, meaning we can stop manually inputting figures onto separate spreadsheets and review budgets more often. This will lead to better service levels for our customers."

Cathy Humphreys, UK country manager at INFORM, adds: "Being able to forecast vehicle components at a tier two level is very difficult to do manually, and we have just gone through a very unpredictable period in the automotive sector which has not helped.

"Our technology offers a means of predicting more accurately what may be required and automating the process, giving SEWS greater visibility across the business, improved efficiencies and happier customers."

INFORM's add*ONE Demand Planner will be integrated into SEWS's in-house Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, and will go live in September ahead of the company's budget review.