Client Profile:
A mid-sized manufacturing company specializing in precision industrial components with annual revenue of $87 million, operations across three continents, and over 500 employees. The company serves automotive, aerospace, and medical device industries, managing relationships with 143 suppliers and processing approximately 1,200 purchase orders monthly. Their legacy ERP system was implemented in 2011 with minimal updates, creating significant operational bottlenecks as the company expanded globally.
Challenge:
- Manual purchase order creation and approval processes taking 3-5 days, with 8 approval touchpoints across multiple departments
- Inventory management across 4 warehouses operated in silos, with data synchronized only once daily, leading to an average of 3 production delays monthly
- Quality control documentation scattered across email (42%), paper forms (31%), and digital systems (27%), with no unified tracking system
- 18% of orders experiencing fulfillment delays due to quality holds and documentation issues
- Limited visibility into supply chain disruptions, with problems typically identified 72+ hours after occurrence
- 24% of staff time dedicated to manual data entry and system reconciliation
- Average of $175,000 in excess inventory costs monthly due to over-ordering and safety stock requirements
Our Approach:
Techseria conducted a comprehensive 3-week supply chain assessment before developing a phased implementation plan for an end-to-end Power Automate solution:
1. Automated Procurement Workflows:
- Redesigned purchase requisition process with conditional approvals based on amount, category, and vendor risk profile
- Implemented digital workflows with mobile approval capabilities and escalation paths
- Created vendor performance tracking with automated scoring and preferred vendor routing
- Developed automated three-way matching for invoices, purchase orders, and receiving documentation
2. Real-time Inventory Management:
- Implemented IoT-connected inventory tracking across all warehouse locations
- Created dynamic reorder point calculations based on lead time, usage patterns, and production forecasts
- Developed automated material reservation system aligned with production scheduling
- Built early warning system for potential stock issues with predictive analytics
3. Supplier Communication Platform:
- Constructed automated bidirectional communication system with tier-based supplier portal
- Implemented real-time order confirmation and shipment tracking with automated alerts
- Developed exception handling workflows for delivery changes and quality issues
- Created KPI dashboards for supplier performance with automated feedback loops
4. Quality Control Integration:
- Deployed mobile-friendly quality inspection tools with offline capabilities for factory floor use
- Implemented automated documentation routing with electronic signatures and approval timestamps
- Developed traceability system linking raw materials to finished products
- Created automated non-conformance reporting with corrective action tracking
Implementation Approach:
- Phase 1 (Weeks 1-4): Procurement automation and supplier portal implementation
- Phase 2 (Weeks 5-8): Inventory management system and warehouse integration
- Phase 3 (Weeks 9-12): Quality control system implementation and mobile tools deployment
- Phase 4 (Weeks 13-16): Advanced analytics, dashboards, and system optimization
- Ongoing: Quarterly optimization reviews and enhancement implementations
Results:
- Purchase order cycle reduced from 5 days to 4 hours on average, with 78% of routine orders processed without human intervention
- 32% reduction in inventory holding costs (approximately $672,000 annually) through optimized stock levels and improved forecasting
- Zero production stoppages due to material shortages in the 6 months following implementation, compared to 3-4 monthly before
- Quality control documentation completion rate improved from 76% to 99.8%, with automated validation ensuring completeness
- Supplier delivery performance improved by 27% through better communication and accountability
- Staff time spent on manual data entry reduced by 71%, allowing reallocation to strategic activities
- Overall supply chain efficiency improved by 43% as measured by composite KPIs
- Data accuracy improved from 87% to 99.5% across all systems
- Annual cost savings of approximately $1.2 million through inventory optimization, labor efficiency, and error reduction
- ROI achieved within 7 months of full implementation
Technology Stack:
- Microsoft Power Automate: Core process automation platform
- Power Apps: Custom interfaces for procurement, quality, and supplier interactions
- SharePoint: Document management and structured data repository
- Power BI: Real-time analytics and performance dashboards
- Azure SQL: Data warehouse for historical analysis and reporting
- Custom connectors: Integration with legacy ERP system (Oracle-based)
- Teams integration: Collaborative approval processes and alerts
Client Testimonial
“The Power Automate solution Techseria built for us transformed our entire supply chain from a liability to a competitive advantage. What impressed us most was how they seamlessly integrated with our legacy ERP system that three other consultants said couldn’t be automated. Their team took the time to understand our unique manufacturing processes rather than forcing us into a cookie-cutter solution. The results speak for themselves—not just in efficiency gains and cost savings, but in our ability to deliver consistently to our customers despite global supply chain challenges.”
– Supply Chain Director