Transforming Finished Goods Visibility and Dispatch Planning

IP Rings Ltd. is a leading automotive component manufacturer supplying precision-engineered products to OEM customers. Managing finished goods inventory efficiently while ensuring on-time customer deliveries is critical to maintaining customer satisfaction and production continuity.

To address operational challenges in its Finished Inspection (FI) and Finished Product Store (FPS) processes, IP Rings partnered with Mazeworks to implement a comprehensive Inventory Tracking and Dispatch Planning System integrated with SAP. 

Prior to implementation, finished goods moved from Production to Final Inspection (FI) and then to the Finished Product Store (FPS) with limited real-time visibility.

This created several operational bottlenecks:

Lack of Stock Visibility

Dispatch teams received delivery schedules from the sales team but had no reliable visibility into actual stock quantities available across various storage locations.

As a result:

• Dispatch plans were created without accurate inventory      information.
• Shortages were identified only at the time of dispatch.
• Production teams were informed too late to replenish required      stock.

Inaccurate Production Planning

Production planning was disconnected from downstream inventory status.

There was no visibility into:

• Stock available in FI and FPS.
• Critical shortages approaching minimum levels.
• Excess inventory exceeding maximum levels.

This often resulted in either overproduction or delayed production of critical parts.

No System-Based Inventory Control

The organization faced additional challenges including:

• No visibility of stock quantity by storage location.
• No reconciliation between SAP stock and physical/system stock.
• No real-time alerts for Min/Max inventory deviations.
• No visibility into incomplete trays awaiting balance      quantities.

No feedback mechanism from Inspection and Dispatch teams to Production. 

Mazeworks implemented a centralized Warehouse Inventory Management System that digitally tracks finished goods from inspection through storage and customer dispatch. The solution integrates with SAP and uses handheld barcode scanners for real-time inventory transactions. 

The new process starts with:

1. Customer Purchase Orders received by the Sales team.
2. Creation of Delivery Schedules.
3. Delivery schedules shared with the Dispatch team.
4. Dispatch planning based on actual inventory visibility.
5. Packing plans generated using Min/Max inventory controls.
6. Continuous feedback to Inspection and Production teams through      automated alerts.

Real-Time Inventory Tracking

Every tray and storage location is uniquely labeled and barcode-enabled.

The system tracks inventory movement across:

• Final Inspection (FI)
• Finished Product Store (FPS)
• Dispatch staging areas

Users can instantly view:

• Part-wise stock
• Location-wise stock
• FI inventory
• FPS inventory
• Total finished goods inventory 

Digital Inspection Workflow

Finished goods arriving from production are:

• Counted and verified.
• Packed into trays.
• Assigned unique tray labels with serial numbers and QR codes.
• Updated automatically in SAP upon inspection approval.

Inspection teams can now prioritize activity based on inventory alerts instead of manual judgment. 

Smart Warehouse Put-Away Process

Using handheld Android scanners:

• Warehouse operators scan tray labels.
• The system identifies the correct storage location.
• Location barcodes are scanned during put-away.
• Incorrect storage locations trigger immediate alerts.

This ensures complete inventory traceability and eliminates location errors. 

Dispatch Planning with Real-Time Visibility

The dispatch team now has visibility into:

• Available inventory
• Delivery schedules
• Stock available for dispatch
• Inventory nearing Min/Max thresholds

This allows dispatch plans to be created with confidence and significantly reduces last-minute shortages. 

Automated FIFO-Based Picking

The system generates picklists directly from customer schedules and SAP sales orders.

Warehouse operators:

• View item quantities and storage locations.
• Receive FIFO alerts during picking.
• Are guided to the correct tray locations.

This ensures:

• Proper stock rotation.
• Reduced inventory ageing.
• Improved warehouse discipline. 

SAP Integration

The solution integrates seamlessly with SAP to:

Read from SAP

• Sales Orders
• Invoices
• Work Orders
• Part Master Data
• Stock Quantities

Update SAP

• Inspection Pass Entries
• Stock Movements
• Pick Lists
• Gate-Out Transactions

This ensures a synchronized digital inventory ecosystem across operations. 

Intelligent Inventory Feedback Loop

One of the most impactful enhancements was the creation of an automated feedback mechanism between FPS, FI, and Production.

Min/Max Stock Monitoring

The system continuously monitors inventory levels.

When FPS stock:

• Falls below minimum levels, alerts are sent to FI and      Production to prioritize inspection and production.
• Exceeds maximum levels, alerts help avoid unnecessary      production. 

Production Planning Based on Actual Demand

Production planners now receive visibility into combined FI + FPS inventory levels, enabling data-driven planning decisions rather than assumptions. 

Incomplete Tray Management

The solution identifies partially filled trays awaiting balance production quantities.

Automated alerts notify Production to manufacture the exact pending quantity required to complete trays and make them dispatch-ready. 

Improved Dispatch Performance

• Real-time stock visibility enables accurate dispatch planning.
• Reduced delivery delays caused by unexpected stock shortages.
• Faster response to customer delivery schedules.

Increased Inventory Accuracy

• Location-wise inventory visibility.
• System Stock vs SAP Stock variance monitoring.
• Enhanced inventory traceability.

Better Inspection Planning

• Inspection activities prioritized using Min/Max inventory      alerts.
• Reduced focus on non-critical inventory.

Smarter Production Planning

• Production decisions driven by actual downstream inventory      status.
• Better alignment between production output and customer demand.

Enhanced Operational Control

• FIFO compliance enforced digitally.
• Barcode-based location tracking.
• Complete audit trail from inspection through dispatch.

Improved Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Automated feedback between Dispatch, Inspection, Warehouse, and      Production teams.
• Faster decision-making.
• Reduced manual coordination and follow-ups. 

By implementing the Mazeworks Finished Goods Inventory Management System, IP Rings transformed a largely manual and reactive process into a real-time, data-driven operation.

The organization now benefits from:

• End-to-end finished goods visibility
• Accurate dispatch planning
• Inventory-driven inspection scheduling
• Production planning based on actual demand signals
• SAP-integrated warehouse operations
• Improved customer delivery performance

The solution has established a closed-loop inventory management process that connects Production, Inspection, Warehouse, and Dispatch teams, ensuring that the right products are available at the right time to meet customer commitments.