Planning security in a speed rush
Motorsport thrives on speed, both on the race track and in the supply chain. The resulting challenges in sales planning are addressed by Austrian automotive supplier Pankl Racing Systems in collaboration with SCM consultants Abels & Kemmner.
High tech, high speed, high quality: this is the credo of Pankl Racing Systems. Founded in 1985 by its namesake Gerold Pankl and based in Kapfenberg in the Austrian province of Styria, the company specializes in the development and production of high-tech mechanical systems for the racing, luxury car and aviation industries. As a system provider, the group supplies engine and drive systems made of steel, aluminum and titanium; from development and production to assembly and maintenance from a single source. Pankl has managed to occupy a niche that differs significantly from the conventional automotive industry.
“Speed and flexibility count in racing, and this also applies to delivery times to the customer. Especially in the case of production-relevant raw materials with long replenishment times, the focus is on delivery readiness. The challenge lies in achieving an economic balance between availability and stock levels,” explains Christoph Puntigam, Head of Work Preparation. The necessary further development and optimization of the system options in terms of scheduling and planning were therefore a clear focus. This is because Pankl has to deal with very different customer requirements. While racing expects dynamic design developments with the fastest possible order processing, Pankl is also responsible for dynamic series projects with long lead times and easily plannable quantity scenarios. “Guaranteed supply was and still is the top priority,” says Puntigam. In order to increase planning reliability and improve the planning of production processes, Pankl carried out a project with the German management consultancy Abels & Kemmner. Together, they carried out a situation analysis – and then introduced the DISKOVER supply chain software from SCT GmbH.
Dispo: empirical values vs. system forecast
As a system supplier for series and racing customers, Pankl plans a large number of different items that are planned in DISKOVER. For its core products, the company uses primary materials and semi-finished products such as bar stock and forged parts, as well as components such as screws, bushings and rings. However, finished parts and cutting tools for production are also included – from special tools to turning and milling tools through to abrasives. Finally, operating materials are also taken into account. In total, the expenditure amounts to almost 4,700 items. Until now, Pankl had no system-supported sales planning including forecasts. Among other things, the replenishment time of the articles significantly exceeds the forecast of customer call-offs. The ERP system previously used was designed to meet the original requirements, but could not fully map the extended requirements for displaying the necessary sales scenarios, which is why the planning was supplemented manually in Excel. In addition, safety stocks had to be handled. Automated recording of safety stock was previously not possible; the MRP controller responsible for the master data defined the safety stock per item manually. It was clear to Pankl that these conditions needed to be improved: “In future, we wanted to base our decisions more on sound data rather than pure experience,” recalls Christoph Puntigam. So he sat down with his colleagues and drew up a plan.
Pre-project identifies fields of action
“Situation analysis and development of an action plan to optimize inventories and delivery readiness” was the name of the project that provided the impetus for optimizing the supply chain in 2022. In the project, the consultants from Abels & Kemmner examined the inventories and identified optimization potential, as well as designing a suitable planning and scheduling system. One of the project’s key recommendations was to introduce an advanced planning and scheduling system (APS) – which is how the company came to DISKOVER. The algorithms focus on business targets such as inventory reduction, safeguarding delivery capability and cost savings. The mechanism is able to determine an absolute and relative business value contribution for the forecasts.
More facts for well-founded decisions
DISKOVER precisely solves the problems of the global market leader in Upper Styria. The system reports daily production and order suggestions to the ERP system, which department head Puntigam describes as the nerve center of the company. The schedulers use the suggestions in the ERP and use DISKOVER as an additional information system for queries. The Abels & Kemmner solution also calculates dynamic safety and reorder levels and provides comprehensive reporting. “Every dispatcher now has access to facts that they can use to make a decision,” says the expert. With DISKOVER, Pankl has introduced a standardized planning platform that not only improves efficiency and safety, but also makes day-to-day work easier for the employees involved.
Christoph Puntigam and his team are very satisfied with the introduction of DISKOVER. This is also due to the close cooperation with Abels & Kemmner. “The structured approach of the project consultants coupled with the analysis and reporting options provided by DISKOVER played a key role,” says Puntigam. Long before the actual implementation, the Pankl team was able to use DISKOVER to identify and rectify data errors early on in the process. Last but not least, the changeover involved a comprehensive master data project in the ERP system. The work was supplemented by regular workshops with the specialist staff on site so that the system can also be used safely and reliably in day-to-day work. “We found Abels & Kemmner to be professional, competent and uncomplicated,” recalls Puntigam.
Expansion already in the starting blocks
With the introduction of DISKOVER, the company is equipped for the dynamic demands of the racing industry as well as for long-term series projects. Christoph Puntigam and his team are already thinking about the next steps. They would like to use DISKOVER in other plants of the company. “We have now laid the foundations at the site in Bruck an der Mur for the other profit centers in the company to be retrofitted,” says the expert.
Christoph Puntigam
Head of department for work preparation, CAM and process technology at Pankl Racing Systems
