How an Aerospace and Industrial Automation Leader Unlocked US$ 2M in Cash and Gained 22% Faster Order Turnaround

Client

The client is a prominent American multinational conglomerate with a diversified portfolio spanning aerospace, building automation, and industrial automation. With a global presence and a complex aerospace supply chain ecosystem, the organization manages a vast array of parts and components across multiple distribution centers and manufacturing sites. Their operations require high precision, reliability, and responsiveness to meet stringent industry standards and customer expectations.

Market dynamics

The aerospace and industrial automation sectors are navigating a period of accelerated change. Global aerospace supply chain disruptions, rising operational costs, evolving customer expectations, and multi-vendor technology landscapes are pushing organizations to build smarter, more resilient networks. As complexity increases, businesses are realizing that fragmented systems and undocumented processes limit their ability to scale or respond quickly. Digital modernization, data-driven decision-making, and operational streamlining are becoming essential—not optional—to stay competitive. Recognizing this shift, the client saw the need to strengthen visibility, coordination, and control across its global operations.

Need for change

Despite its strong global presence, the client faced several operational and strategic hurdles that were limiting efficiency and future-readiness to change :

Limited visibility into existing processes: A lack of documentation around data transformation logic and end-to-end process flows, both technical and functional, made it difficult to scale, troubleshoot, or onboard new teams efficiently.
Fragmented support landscape: The involvement of multiple vendors created a disjointed environment, complicating coordination and slowing progress across critical initiatives.
Operational efficiency issues: The organization was heavily focused on managing daily operations – inventory management challenges, difficulties maintaining consistent service levels, which called for network optimizations to be future-ready to tap into planning efficiencies, strategic business shifts, and innovation.

These challenges underscored the need for a more unified, transparent, and future-ready approach to managing the client’s global operations. This was especially true in the context of a fast-evolving supply chain transformation agenda.

Solution

To support the client’s modernization goals, a structured supply chain transformation initiative was launched; one that streamlined operations, enhanced coordination, and created room for long-term strategic planning. Key components included:

Supply chain network remapping

Redesigned the supply chain network to consolidate scattered distribution centers and manufacturing sites, anchored by a centralized Mother Distribution Center (DC). This shift enabled more cohesive oversight and efficient material flow across the network.

Master data extension

Extended and aligned master data across both new and existing sites, creating a unified data foundation essential for seamless, integrated planning across functions.

Planning enablement

Implemented demand, supply, inventory, and production planning capabilities tailored to the specific roles of each site. This empowered local teams with better planning tools while maintaining centralized oversight.

Testing and validation

Developed test cases based on part types and sourcing flows to simulate real-world scenarios.
Conducted System Integration Testing (SIT) on high-runner parts to ensure accuracy, data integrity, and network readiness.
Facilitated solution lockdown and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) workshops to ensure alignment across business stakeholders’ readiness for go-live.

Data migration and cleansing

Migrated historical data from decommissioned sites while resolving inconsistencies in both master and transactional data. This ensured clean, reliable data for business continuity and future scalability.

Business benefits

The transformation enabled the client to unlock significant operational and financial gains across its global supply chain:

Achieved a one-time Free Cash Flow (FCF) improvement of approximately US$ 2 million.

Enhanced service levels with a 10% increase in OTFP, 22% in OTTR, and 8% in OTIF.

Improved forecast accuracy by 3–6%, leading to a reduction in excess inventory worth US$ 300 thousand.

Realized annual transportation cost savings of approximately US$ 200 thousand.

Streamlined master data maintenance, minimizing manual effort and reducing error rates.

Conclusion

By reimagining its operational backbone, the client has moved beyond short-term fixes to enable a more connected, future-ready enterprise. This transformation not only stabilized current operations but also unlocked the capacity for smarter, data-driven decision-making. With a solid foundation in place, the organization is now well-positioned to scale innovation—exploring AI-powered planning, predictive insights, and advanced control tower capabilities to navigate what’s next with confidence.

Client

Market dynamics

Need for change