Plex Systems > Case Studies > Wolverine Advanced Materials Enhances Inventory Management with Plex ERP in Asia

Wolverine Advanced Materials Enhances Inventory Management with Plex ERP in Asia

Customer Company Size

Large Corporate

Region

Asia
America

Country

United States
China

Product

Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform
Plex ERP

Tech Stack

Cloud ERP
Integrated Inventory Management

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Productivity Improvements
Customer Satisfaction
Cost Savings

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
Functional Applications - Inventory Management Systems

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Applicable Functions

Warehouse & Inventory Management
Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Inventory Management
Supply Chain Visibility

Services

System Integration
Software Design & Engineering Services

About The Customer

Wolverine Advanced Materials is a global supplier of vibration damping and sealing materials, headquartered in Dearborn, MI. The company is known for its innovative solutions in the automotive industry, providing materials that enhance the performance and durability of vehicles. Wolverine has established a strong presence in the global market, particularly in Asia, where it has formed strategic partnerships to expand its reach. The company is committed to delivering high-quality products and services, leveraging advanced technologies to meet the evolving needs of its customers. With a focus on sustainability and efficiency, Wolverine continues to drive innovation in the materials industry.

The Challenge

Wolverine Advanced Materials faced a unique challenge in inventory management due to a business venture with a warehousing company in China. The distribution warehouse was responsible for storing Wolverine’s inventory before it was sold to Asian customers, requiring a customer consignment inventory approach. This meant Wolverine needed to maintain control of the inventory until it was actually used by the customers. The challenge was to ensure accurate tracking and management of this consignment inventory, which traditional ERP systems struggled with due to the lack of integration between invoicing and shipment/receipt transactions.

The Solution

Wolverine approached Plex Systems, its existing manufacturing cloud ERP provider, to address the inventory management challenge. The solution was found within the Plex system, which offered a customer consignment function. This function allowed Wolverine to flag and trace all warehouse inventory that had shipped but not yet sold, maintaining liability for loss, damage, obsolescence, and theft. The integration of inventory data with sales, shipping, accounts receivable, and scheduling provided Wolverine with complete visibility of inventory status. The seamless integration of these functions enabled Wolverine to create accounts receivable invoices at the exact time customers used the inventory, ensuring accurate tracking and management of consignment inventory. The implementation of the customer consignment function was completed in just two months, allowing Wolverine to quickly realize the benefits of the new processes.

Operational Impact

Wolverine achieved 100% accuracy in tracking physical inventory from the moment it left the U.S. docks to consumption by customers in Asia.
The integration of inventory systems with sales, shipping, accounts receivable, and scheduling eliminated the need for manual inventory processing.
Wolverine's management gained confidence in the timeliness and accuracy of cost of sales, with access to automated Inventory Evaluation Query Reports.
The seamless process improved relationships with Wolverine's warehouse partner and customers in Asia, as they could plan operations more effectively.
The new system reduced audit times from eight hours to less than one hour a month.

Quantitative Benefit