Our Supply Chain, your Value Chain – that’s Business Made Easy
Disposable Hygiene manufacturing, whether it is converting or packaging doesn’t come easy. From the thorough R&D effort that is necessary to meet the client’s requests, to production lines that may reach up to 60 meters in length, complexity is sky-high.
Because of this, making the Supply Chain smoother is paramount for creating value and GDM resorted to its Business Made Easy principle, a 360-degree support born from a decades-long experience in the field. That’s why GDM isn’t simply content with being a supplier, but aims at being an asset - a technological, financial, and consulting partner for all customers.
In light of this, Supply Chain management has gained far more importance than ever before.
Given how customizable the machinery might be within the industry, the Supply Chain must be streamlined and standardized as much as possible: as a matter of fact, the manufacturer’s Supply Chain is an integral part of the customer’s Value Chain.
Simplification and organization are the best defense against uncertainty. In the realm of nonwovens, this means profound synergy through consolidated processes. The first step is understanding the customer's needs, upon which new technological solutions are built.
From order entry to shipment: by your side, step-by-step
Everything starts with the project feasibility assessment by the Engineering department, followed by the materials management.
After an initial evaluation of the client's needs and complexity, the project follows one of these two separate paths: Carry Over and New Parts.
The former is conceived for machines that have already been produced in the past and are therefore going to be built upon proven technology and standardized materials. In such a case, the order enters the procurement phase, followed by Project Resource Planning and Material Requirement Planning, which generates the purchase orders.
Zero revisions, on the other hand, is set up for new projects: new codes resembling the well-known ones are simulated for budgeting and time management.
In order to guarantee premium quality and identify any problems in plenty of time, the Supply Chain dept. takes care of expediting, conducting regular inspections, first-hand or through third-party expeditors, at the suppliers’ warehouse for monitoring their capacity and quality standards. By turning data into KPIs, GDM is then able to chart performances over time and prevent uncertain issues through a data-driven methodology, in order to cascade the client to stick with its production plan.
Going like clockwork: how GDM integrates all components of its business
Supply Chain Management is a very meticulous process in GDM, as it is the result of a widespread synergy between different departments.
Over time, thanks to the concerted work of Supply Chain and Customer Service, projects related to the optimized spare parts management have been developed with the primary objective of providing “the right part at the right time”: taking advantage of the Lean Six Sigma methodology, the company has in fact already been able to improve the delivery time up to 40%.
Moreover, through the creation of dedicated Stock Agreements, providing the customers with the option to keep their spare parts in GDM’s own warehouse, the client is released from the nuisance of inventory management, with the added benefits of increased uptime and therefore the overall equipment effectiveness.
In addition, GDM is always experimenting new solutions to improve its productivity. The latest innovation is the Visual Component System: thanks to this tool, the customer can easily navigate new machines’ layout, browsing the 3D documentation and directly buying spare parts thanks to its connection with the Coesia WebShop that allows the customer to save time.
What Business Made Easy means during a pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis has been the perfect stress test for GDM, showing the true value of a deeply intertwined and synergetic organization. Despite the initial shock, GDM has been able to secure the Supply Chain and guarantee the ordinary day-to-day activities. Thanks to the Coesia Group network and to the long-standing relationships with local subsidiaries and international trusted vendors, GDM fulfilled each and every order, offering shelter to customers at a time when uncertainty was king.
Indeed, when the outbreak swiftly deteriorated into a full-blown pandemic and customers began stockpiling, GDM tapped into its interconnected Supply Chain and was able to meet even peak demand, converting traditional office jobs into work-from-home arrangements - all while keeping in constant touch with suppliers. Most importantly, GDM never stopped production.
In conclusion, GDM is the living proof that the most precious asset in uncertain times is the capability to run a complex value and Supply Chain like clockwork. Synergy, certainty, and perfect coordination: these are the best qualities a partner can offer. This is Business Made Easy. This is GDM.