Stera Technologies, an internationally operating technology company, acquired an SCM analysis from Elisa IndustrIQ Finland with the aim of developing the flexibility, availability and lead time of production by improving inventory and purchasing control. The cooperation continued smoothly with LeanwareSCM software for purchasing and sourcing, which achieves tangible benefits for the entire business.
Co-operation with Stera Technologies began when the Stera set out to seek a partner to streamline its operations. Stera had found that unnecessary work was done in production, inventory and purchasing, especially in terms of the number of manufacturing and purchasing batches. SCM analysis supported these findings.
The analysis was used to identify current challenges, including a lack of statistical analysis, control of storage levels, the large role of order control in relation to storage, and the challenges of availability of semi-finished and finished products. With the identification of challenges, SCM analysis showed plenty of performance potential. It was possible to optimize the number of manufacturing batches and improve availability to enable very fast deliveries to customers, says Elisa IndustrIQ Finland’s SCM consultant Jere Räisänen.
The identified potential and benefits of the changes are made possible by the purchase and acquisition of LeanwareSCM software. After the results of the SCM analysis, Stera Technologies ordered LeanwareSCM, the commissioning of which was started in the autumn of 2023. The software enables BI analytics, reporting and goal setting. When the operations are monitored, the right development actions and the development of the result are made possible.
The most significant change for the customer has been the optimization of the number of purchase lines and production batches. The time freed from routine ordering in the purchase will be used for developing operations, cooperation with suppliers and monitoring. At the same time, the workload is also reduced at the reception of the goods and at the supplier. Through rationalization of production batches and reduction of exchange times, more efficiency and capacity for production can be achieved, continues Räisänen.
The benefits identified through SCM analysis and achieved through LeanwareSCM software have a significant impact on Stera Technologies’ business. The benefits help to speed up customer deliveries and improve customer satisfaction, increase flexibility and productivity in production, but also improve profitability and at the same time increase competitiveness. Within a short period of time, the benefits have begun to materialize, as batch sizes have been defined and changes have been effective. The commissioning pilot was taken by the Steran Tammela factory. At the end of the first training sessions, the client company continued training in the use of the software at the Group’s other factories.
In terms of procurement, our goal is to react to changes in volume and to reduce arrivals at the reception of purchases. On the manufacturing side, the key benefit is increasing batch sizes of semi-finished products where it is economically feasible. In the future, LeanwareSCM will enable us to build a structured model for simulation and develop automation, says Mikko Uusi-Heikkilä, Group Controller at Stera Technologies.
Elisa IndustrIQ Finland’s trainer was competent and the operations were cost-effective. In the future, we will have a press called LeanwareSCM – just to squeeze the juices out, summarizes Uusi-Heikkilä’s expectations for the near future.
Stera Technologies is an international technology company employing around 850 professionals in Finland and Estonia. The company offers a wide range of contract manufacturing services for the heads of the metal and electronics industries, SteraCabinets equipment and cabinet products, and SteraTools clamping and bending tools.
