News: Double Launch for Barloworld Supply Chain Software Users
Global supply chain planning and inventory optimisation
company, Barloworld Supply Chain Software (SCS) recently launched
two products at its annual forum in the UK, where users were
invited to trial the new software.
Barloworld SCS's annual user forum allows existing
CAST and Optimiza software users to learn about recent and upcoming
developments, trial the software and offer their feedback about the
products. This year's event saw the launches of CAST Aurora and
Oriana Lite, in Warwick, UK.
CAST Aurora is a decision support software
application used for supply chain modelling, strategic network
design and optimisation. According to Barloworld SCS, users can
typically expect to achieve a 10-15% saving on their supply chain
costs.
"The user forum provided an opportunity to engage
with existing software users, following the global launch of CAST
Aurora at the Multimodal exhibition in April" says Fraser Ironside,
Head of Strategic Modelling at Barloworld SCS. "The forum
allowed CAST users to trial the new software's new features in a
workshop environment, supported by Barloworld SCS staff."
A key feature of the new CAST Aurora is the multi
time period function, which enables companies to identify the ideal
location for warehouses and the ideal times to open and close them,
based on seasonal peaks and falls in demand and supply.
Technological developments enable scenarios that previously may
have taken hours to run through the software, to be carried out in
minutes, in a single sitting.
Visitors to the user forum also saw the launch of Oriana Lite,
which was the first, exclusive showing of the new software,
following several years of research and development. Oriana
Lite is a development of the longstanding Optimiza demand and
inventory optimisation software. Key differentiating features
include dynamic dashboarding for strategic, analytical and
operational reporting, highly specific user configuration with
hyperlinked prompts, extensive scenario modelling with approval
staging for all key inputs and outputs, major improvements in
scalability and process alignment capability including task
workflows.
"Oriana Lite was well received by the users" says
Kevin Boake, MD of Barloworld SCS. "The workshop was a good
opportunity for our users from across Europe to get together and
discover how others employ the existing Optimiza software."
The annual user forum is an important event in the
Barloworld SCS calendar. "Engaging with our users in a workshop
environment is vital to the success of our software" explains
Fraser. "We invite our users to share their feedback and
experiences and we endeavour to incorporate their suggestions and
requirements into the software."
Several CAST and Optimiza users from around the
world attended the forum, with Senior Project Managers, Purchasing
Managers and other key figures from major retail companies, major
food and drink manufacturers and major logistics operations
present.
The event closed with two awards ceremonies.
From the Optimiza business, the Optimiza User of the Year Award
went to Kwik-Fit. The award was presented to Craig Douglas at
Kwik-Fit, by Kevin Boake, after the event. The CAST business
presented awards to the CAST Aurora Development Stakeholders,
Agility, Belron, Carlsberg, DHL, Tesco and Unipart. Travis
Perkins was recognised for being the first company to fully deploy
CAST Aurora, and will be presented with the award by Fraser
Ironside at a later date.
"This year's forum saw the highest attendance to
date and we have had really positive feedback from the day" Fraser
adds. "The users enjoyed the 'hands-on' interaction in
experiencing the new products and developing their partnership with
Barloworld SCS."