Smart Software Senior VP/Research to present at Military Operations Research Society (MORS) Emerging Techniques Forum

Smart Software announced today that its co-founder and Senior VP of Research, Dr. Thomas Willemain, has been selected to present at the prestigious MORS Emerging Techniques Forum December 4 – 5, 2019 in Alexandria, VA.

MORS is the Military Operations Research Society, funded by the Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Office of the Secretary of the Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Its mission is to enhance the quality of analysis that informs national and homeland security decisions.

The Emerging Techniques Forum provides the defense analytic community with extensive content on emerging analytic topics and techniques. Willemain will be one of a small number of experts speaking in the Computational Advances in Analytics track. This track addresses new tools and techniques that leverage increased computing power and data availability.

Willemain’s topic will be “Validating Demand Scenario Generators for Inventory Optimization.” This research is part of Smart Software’s continuing work to push the state of the art in managing fleets of spare parts and hard to forecast items.  These advancements will be incorporated into Smart IP&O, the company’s multi-tenant web based platform for forecasting, inventory planning and optimization.  The research began with Dr. Willemain’s doctoral students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he remains active as Professor Emeritus of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

 

About Smart Software, Inc.

Founded in 1981, Smart Software, Inc. is a leader in providing businesses with enterprise-wide demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization solutions.  Smart Software’s demand forecasting and inventory optimization solutions have helped thousands of users worldwide, including customers at mid-market enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, such as Mitsubishi, Siemens, Disney, FedEx, MARS, and The Home Depot.  Smart Inventory Planning & Optimization gives demand planners the tools to handle sales seasonality, promotions, new and aging products, multi-dimensional hierarchies, and intermittently demanded service parts and capital goods items.  It also provides inventory managers with accurate estimates of the optimal inventory and safety stock required to meet future orders and achieve desired service levels.  Smart Software is headquartered in Belmont, Massachusetts and can be found on the World Wide Web at www.smartcorp.com.

SmartForecasts and Smart IP&O are registered trademarks of Smart Software, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


For more information, please contact Smart Software, Inc., Four Hill Road, Belmont, MA 02478.
Phone: 1-800-SMART-99 (800-762-7899); FAX: 1-617-489-2748; E-mail: info@smartcorp.com

 

How do you know Min/Max policy is working well for you?

The Smart Forecaster

 Pursuing best practices in demand planning,

forecasting and inventory optimization

What is a Min/Max policy? How do you know is working well for you? Smart IP&O gets Min/Max right!

The Min/Max inventory policy is one of four available Replenishment methods in SIO. When the inventory level drops to or below the Min, a replenishment order is generated. The reorder quantity is the number of units needed to raise the stock up to the Max. How do you know your Min/Max settings are working well and triggering replenishment orders at the right time and for the right quantities? If you are like most companies, setting Min/Max levels is based on rules of thumb or simple averaging techniques that don’t expose the trade off curve between service level and inventory cost. This makes it impossible to predict which items are likely to have overstocks and shortages in the future. In this Video Blog we elaborate on this and describe how Smart Inventory Optimization can help.

 

 

Leave a Comment

Related Posts

The Supply Chain Blame Game:  Top 3 Excuses for Inventory Shortage and Excess

The Supply Chain Blame Game: Top 3 Excuses for Inventory Shortage and Excess

The supply chain has become the blame game for almost any industrial or retail problem. Shortages on lead time variability, bad forecasts, and problems with bad data are facts of life, yet inventory-carrying organizations are often caught by surprise when any of these difficulties arise. So, again, who is to blame for the supply chain chaos? Keep reading this blog and we will try to show you how to prevent product shortages and overstocking.

Recent Posts

  • Managing Spare Parts Inventory: Best PracticesManaging Spare Parts Inventory: Best Practices
    In this blog, we’ll explore several effective strategies for managing spare parts inventory, emphasizing the importance of optimizing stock levels, maintaining service levels, and using smart tools to aid in decision-making. Managing spare parts inventory is a critical component for businesses that depend on equipment uptime and service reliability. Unlike regular inventory items, spare parts often have unpredictable demand patterns, making them more challenging to manage effectively. An efficient spare parts inventory management system helps prevent stockouts that can lead to operational downtime and costly delays while also avoiding overstocking that unnecessarily ties up capital and increases holding costs. […]
  • 5 Ways to Improve Supply Chain Decision Speed5 Ways to Improve Supply Chain Decision Speed
    The promise of a digital supply chain has transformed how businesses operate. At its core, it can make rapid, data-driven decisions while ensuring quality and efficiency throughout operations. However, it's not just about having access to more data. Organizations need the right tools and platforms to turn that data into actionable insights. This is where decision-making becomes critical, especially in a landscape where new digital supply chain solutions and AI-driven platforms can support you in streamlining many processes within the decision matrix. […]
  • Two employees checking inventory in temporary storage in a distribution warehouse.12 Causes of Overstocking and Practical Solutions
    Managing inventory effectively is critical for maintaining a healthy balance sheet and ensuring that resources are optimally allocated. Here is an in-depth exploration of the main causes of overstocking, their implications, and possible solutions. […]
  • FAQ Mastering Smart IP&O for Better Inventory ManagementFAQ: Mastering Smart IP&O for Better Inventory Management.
    Effective supply chain and inventory management are essential for achieving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. This blog provides clear and concise answers to some basic and other common questions from our Smart IP&O customers, offering practical insights to overcome typical challenges and enhance your inventory management practices. Focusing on these key areas, we help you transform complex inventory issues into strategic, manageable actions that reduce costs and improve overall performance with Smart IP&O. […]
  • 7 Key Demand Planning Trends Shaping the Future7 Key Demand Planning Trends Shaping the Future
    Demand planning goes beyond simply forecasting product needs; it's about ensuring your business meets customer demands with precision, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Latest demand planning technology addresses key challenges like forecast accuracy, inventory management, and market responsiveness. In this blog, we will introduce critical demand planning trends, including data-driven insights, probabilistic forecasting, consensus planning, predictive analytics, scenario modeling, real-time visibility, and multilevel forecasting. These trends will help you stay ahead of the curve, optimize your supply chain, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction, positioning your business for long-term success. […]

    Inventory Optimization for Manufacturers, Distributors, and MRO

    • Managing Spare Parts Inventory: Best PracticesManaging Spare Parts Inventory: Best Practices
      In this blog, we’ll explore several effective strategies for managing spare parts inventory, emphasizing the importance of optimizing stock levels, maintaining service levels, and using smart tools to aid in decision-making. Managing spare parts inventory is a critical component for businesses that depend on equipment uptime and service reliability. Unlike regular inventory items, spare parts often have unpredictable demand patterns, making them more challenging to manage effectively. An efficient spare parts inventory management system helps prevent stockouts that can lead to operational downtime and costly delays while also avoiding overstocking that unnecessarily ties up capital and increases holding costs. […]
    • Innovating the OEM Aftermarket with AI-Driven Inventory Optimization XLInnovating the OEM Aftermarket with AI-Driven Inventory Optimization
      The aftermarket sector provides OEMs with a decisive advantage by offering a steady revenue stream and fostering customer loyalty through the reliable and timely delivery of service parts. However, managing inventory and forecasting demand in the aftermarket is fraught with challenges, including unpredictable demand patterns, vast product ranges, and the necessity for quick turnarounds. Traditional methods often fall short due to the complexity and variability of demand in the aftermarket. The latest technologies can analyze large datasets to predict future demand more accurately and optimize inventory levels, leading to better service and lower costs. […]
    • Future-Proofing Utilities. Advanced Analytics for Supply Chain OptimizationFuture-Proofing Utilities: Advanced Analytics for Supply Chain Optimization
      Utilities in the electrical, natural gas, urban water, and telecommunications fields are all asset-intensive and reliant on physical infrastructure that must be properly maintained, updated, and upgraded over time. Maximizing asset uptime and the reliability of physical infrastructure demands effective inventory management, spare parts forecasting, and supplier management. A utility that executes these processes effectively will outperform its peers, provide better returns for its investors and higher service levels for its customers, while reducing its environmental impact. […]
    • Centering Act Spare Parts Timing Pricing and ReliabilityCentering Act: Spare Parts Timing, Pricing, and Reliability
      In this article, we'll walk you through the process of crafting a spare parts inventory plan that prioritizes availability metrics such as service levels and fill rates while ensuring cost efficiency. We'll focus on an approach to inventory planning called Service Level-Driven Inventory Optimization. Next, we'll discuss how to determine what parts you should include in your inventory and those that might not be necessary. Lastly, we'll explore ways to enhance your service-level-driven inventory plan consistently. […]

      V-LINE marks anniversary with conference and Smart keynote.
        During the “User Conference: Spare Parts Inventory Planning and Optimization,” topics like vested outsourcing and digital MRO supply chain orchestration were discussed with the participation of Jeff Scott, our vice president of business development at Smart Software. Jeff discussed the practical process of optimizing spares inventory policies, particularly the challenge of addressing seemingly unforecastable intermittent demand.  He reviewed common approaches, their failings, and the value of taking a different approach with probabilistic modeling and improved statistical methods.  If you would like to learn more, a good place to start is Smart Software’s recent webinar on Intermittent Demand – click here to view the replay. Jeff Scott To the right Jeff Scott vice president of business development at Smart Software. About Smart Software, Inc. Founded in 1981, Smart Software, Inc. is a leader in providing businesses with enterprise-wide demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization solutions.  Smart Software’s demand forecasting and inventory optimization solutions have helped thousands of users worldwide, including customers at mid-market enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, such as Mitsubishi, Siemens, Disney, FedEx, MARS, and The Home Depot.  Smart Inventory Planning & Optimization gives demand planners the tools to handle sales seasonality, promotions, new and aging products, multi-dimensional hierarchies, and intermittently demanded service parts and capital goods items.  It also provides inventory managers with accurate estimates of the optimal inventory and safety stock required to meet future orders and achieve desired service levels.  Smart Software is headquartered in Belmont, Massachusetts and can be found on the World Wide Web at www.smartcorp.com. SmartForecasts and Smart IP&O are registered trademarks of Smart Software, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
      For more information, please contact Smart Software, Inc., Four Hill Road, Belmont, MA 02478. Phone: 1-800-SMART-99 (800-762-7899); FAX: 1-617-489-2748; E-mail: info@smartcorp.com  
      Smart Software President and CEO to Present at Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2019

      Smart Software to lead Microsoft Dynamics NAV Summit Session on Inventory Optimization and Intermittent Demand

      Belmont, Mass., October, 2019 – Smart Software, Inc., provider of industry-leading demand forecasting, inventory planning, and inventory optimization solutions, today announced that CEO Greg Hartunian, will present at the Microsoft Dynamics NAV Summit from October 15-18 in Kissimmee, FL.

      Greg Hartunian and Bruce Kennedy, Senior Consultant at ArcherPoint will present “Inventory Optimization and Intermittent Demand – Why Forecasting Isn’t Enough.”  The session details how to plan optimal inventory levels for thousands of items when demand is intermittent. Seemingly random, sporadic demand is the worst case scenario for accurately forecasting demand and inventory requirements. Typical planning approaches such as reliance on sales forecasts and rules of thumb methods, why they often fail, and how probabilistic forecasting methods can make a big difference to the bottom line will be discussed. They will demonstrate practical examples, working through a service level-driven methodology to manage risk and find the optimal balance between inventory investment and availability, and then send corresponding replenishment drivers to Business Central 365/NAV to make it so.

      The presentation is scheduled for Oct. 16, 1-2 PM. Smart Software will be also exhibiting at the conference showcasing Smart Inventory Planning & Optimization and bi-directional integrations to Microsoft Dynamics NAV,  Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, and Microsoft Dynamics AX.

       

      Summit Group America Smart Software

      About Smart Software, Inc.

      Founded in 1981, Smart Software, Inc. is Microsoft Dynamics Gold Partner and full-service provider for Dynamics NAV and Dynamics 365, a leader in providing demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization solutions.  Smart Software’s demand forecasting and inventory optimization solutions have helped thousands of users worldwide, including customers at mid-market enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, such as  Mitsubishi, Siemens, Disney, FedEx, MARS, and The Home Depot.  Smart Inventory Planning & Optimization gives demand planners the tools to handle sales seasonality, promotions, new and aging products, multi-dimensional hierarchies, and intermittently demanded service parts and capital goods items.  It also provides inventory managers with accurate estimates of the optimal inventory and safety stock required to meet future orders and achieve desired service levels.  Smart Software is headquartered in Belmont, Massachusetts and can be found on the World Wide Web at www.smartcorp.com.

      SmartForecasts and Smart IP&O are registered trademarks of Smart Software, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


      For more information, please contact Smart Software, Inc., Four Hill Road, Belmont, MA 02478.
      Phone: 1-800-SMART-99 (800-762-7899); FAX: 1-617-489-2748; E-mail: info@smartcorp.com

      2019 Microsoft Dynamics NAV User Group Summit

      Smart Software to Present at NESCON 2019

      Smart Software to lead NESCON keynote address on Planning for the “Un-Plannable”.

      Belmont, Mass., July 8, 2019 – Smart Software, Inc., provider of industry-leading demand forecasting, planning, and inventory optimization solutions, today announced that it will present at the NESCON 2019, New England Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition Keynote in Malborough, MA. The presentation is scheduled for Oct. 7, 12:15-1:30 PM.

      Greg Hartunian, CEO of Smart Software, under the tittle “Planning for the Un-Plannable”, will present how to plan optimal inventory levels and purchase quantities for thousands of items, when demand is intermittent, constantly changing, or affected by unexpected events. Random, sporadic demand is the worst case scenario for planning and procurement, and leads to excess inventory levels, and costly stock outs. Greg will discuss traditional inventory planning and forecasting approaches, present practical examples of how they can fail, and share how probabilistic modeling methods can make a big difference to your bottom line. The Keynote is a good opportunity  to learn how to reduce stock outs and inventory costs, by leveraging data driven decisions that identify the financial trade-offs associated with changes in demand, lead times, service level targets, and costs.

      Greg_Hartunian_CEO_President_Smart_Software

      About Smart Software, Inc.

      Founded in 1981, Smart Software, Inc. is a leader in providing businesses with enterprise-wide demand forecasting, planning and inventory optimization solutions.  Smart Software’s demand forecasting and inventory optimization solutions have helped thousands of users worldwide, including customers at mid-market enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, such as Mitsubishi, Siemens, Disney, FedEx, MARS, and The Home Depot.  Smart Inventory Planning & Optimization gives demand planners the tools to handle sales seasonality, promotions, new and aging products, multi-dimensional hierarchies, and intermittently demanded service parts and capital goods items.  It also provides inventory managers with accurate estimates of the optimal inventory and safety stock required to meet future orders and achieve desired service levels.  Smart Software is headquartered in Belmont, Massachusetts and can be found on the World Wide Web at www.smartcorp.com.

      SmartForecasts and Smart IP&O are registered trademarks of Smart Software, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


      For more information, please contact Smart Software, Inc., Four Hill Road, Belmont, MA 02478.
      Phone: 1-800-SMART-99 (800-762-7899); FAX: 1-617-489-2748; E-mail: info@smartcorp.com