Sauder Woodworking To Use SynQuest Software To Reduce Cycle Time

Furniture World Magazine

SynQuest, Inc. today announced that Sauder Woodworking Company has selected SynQuest One2One Solutions and services to reduce manufacturing cycle time, increase production throughput and cut work-in-process inventory. Sauder will be using software to better synchronize work flow and optimize furniture production in a facility that manufactures and ships more than $525 million of RTA furniture a year. Sauder, the leading manufacturer of ready-to-assemble furniture and the eighth largest producer of residential furniture in North America, has experienced a 25 percent growth rate in the last five years and is expecting similar expansion in the near future. As a result, the company saw the ability of SynQuest software to improve throughput without adding to existing assets and labor as an important advantage. One of the goals for the SynQuest implementation is to compress manufacturing cycle time. In addition to the challenges of growth, Sauder needed better supply chain planning capabilities because many large customers were requesting exclusive products. Furniture retailers often ask for styles that are not available to competitors so they can differentiate their product offering. This trend toward "exclusives" is driving furniture manufacturers to expand their product line-up and increase production flexibility. "As a result of our broader product range, the number of furniture components has risen dramatically, making planning and scheduling much more complicated," said David Yoder, director of manufacturing planning and control at Sauder Woodworking Company. "More end items mean more components and a much more complex production environment. It became apparent that our legacy systems could be updated to improve supply chain management and increase production." According to Chris Jones, senior vice president of marketing and corporate development at SynQuest, "Customer service has always been a top priority at Sauder. SynQuest will provide Sauder with a comprehensive solution to assure quick responses to product demand. It also will allow Sauder to create 'what if' scenarios to see how new orders will affect production schedules, enabling the company to boost performance and maintain high customer satisfaction." Sauder has licensed four SynQuest software products: Virtual Production Engine, Open Demand Engine, Tactical Planning Engine and Supply Chain Design Engine. The SynQuest Virtual Production Engine combines advanced planning and scheduling with manufacturing execution, which will help Sauder develop optimized production schedules based on costs, profit, cycle time and on-time delivery objectives. The software will enable Sauder to balance the trade-offs among financial objectives, customer needs and resource constraints. The SynQuest Open Demand Engine uses an array of innovative techniques to help Sauder generate demand forecasts and monitor their accuracy. These forecasts are used from the product group aggregation level down to the item and stock-keeping unit (SKU) level, as appropriate, to drive planning. The SynQuest Tactical Planning Engine models the supply chain, simultaneously considering manufacturing, distribution and transportation processes. It optimizes for profitability and generates production, sourcing and logistics plans based on accurate customer demand forecasts, considering capacity, materials, financial and other constraints. At the long-term strategic level, SynQuest Supply Chain Design Engine graphically models a supply chain and optimizes the location, size and characteristics of facilities, transportation links, suppliers and markets. About Sauder Woodworking: Sauder Woodworking Company (www.sauder.com) is headquartered in Archbold, Ohio. The company ships over $525 million of RTA furniture annually and does business in more than 70 countries worldwide. About SynQuest: SynQuest (R) One2One Solutions(TM) help traditional and dotcom companies profitably manage the total supply chain. Through real-time management capabilities, SynQuest products help companies improve responsiveness for each and every customer order. At the same time, SynQuest products provide the best financial answer to customer experience and order fulfillment goals. To help customers quickly achieve dramatic results, the SynQuest Optimal Performance Path? delivers a proven opportunity identification and implementation framework. For more information, call (800) 844-3228 or visit www.synquest.com.