Our Supply Chain Heroes program recognizes and celebrates the hard work of LeanDNA customers who optimize inventory, reduce shortages, and empower their companies to operate more efficiently. Every hero has a story, and we’re here to tell them!
In the intricate world of supply chain management, utilizing business intelligence and analytics for smart and agile decision making is critical. James Dawsey, Senior SIOP & Demand Management Leader at Modine, recognized the importance of business intelligence platforms and made the strategic move of prioritizing the implementation of LeanDNA within the first few months of joining the company. His vision and proactive approach have already yielded remarkable results, transforming the supply chain landscape at Modine, earning his spot as a Supply Chain Hero.
The Importance of Business Intelligence in Supply Chain
James holds a strategic role within Modine and is responsible for portfolio and demand planning, supply planning, and inventory policy planning. Acknowledging the pivotal role of business intelligence in supply chain, James supported Modine’s implementation of LeanDNA across four initial plants within the first few months of his new role. The platform's ability to provide order policy recommendations, min-max calculations, and inventory burnoff insights, supply planning with PO suggestions, and various inventory actions enable him to make informed decisions and improve the efficiency of the supply chain.
“LeanDNA seamlessly integrates with one’s ERP system and facilitates enhanced supply chain decision making at multiple levels of the organization. It not only provides summary dashboards and intelligence to leadership, but it also empowers front-line employees with superior information and diminishes their workload.” - James Dawsey, Senior SIOP & Demand Management Leader at Modine
The Rapid Impact on Shortages, Clear to Build, and Inventory Turns
A notable achievement under James's leadership has been a remarkable 33% shortage reduction in just a few months. This rapid improvement is attributed to a holistic approach encompassing people, processes, and tools.
- Process: Implementation of Critical Material Review meetings (CMRs) at Modine's plants.
- Tools: Utilization of LeanDNA analytics, including Supplier Connect, Clear to Build, Inventory Actions, Procurement Tasks, and Shortage LOB drives meaningful and directed supplier fulfillment discussions and shortage avoidance.
- People: Empowerment of teams through directed training on leveraging the enhanced analytics generated by LeanDNA to proactively address shortages while maintaining inventory control.
Beyond shortage management, Modine has witnessed significant improvements in Clear to Build percentages, moving from mid-40% to over 90%. This success is linked to enhanced shortage management processes and critical material reviews. Additionally, the company has experienced improved inventory avoidance.
“By utilizing the enhanced and directed inventory actions coming from LeanDNA’s analytics engine, we’ve diminished our capital tied up in inventory and improved our inventory turns.” - James Dawsey, Senior SIOP & Demand Management Leader at Modine
Strategy for Success: Expand with Executive Sponsorship and People-Centric Approach
Looking ahead, Modine aims to expand LeanDNA across additional plants in Europe and South America. The key to success lies in effective organization change management, ensuring a smooth transition and adoption of the platform across plants and accompanying processes.
To achieve these goals, James outlines a three-pronged approach:
- Executive Sponsorship: Aligning and informing leadership with the value derived from LeanDNA, demonstrating improvements in critical key performance indicators.
- Extensive Training and Support: Empowering leadership and front-line teams through comprehensive training and ongoing support, recognizing that tools are only as effective as the processes and training supporting them.
- People First: Prioritizing agility and collaborative efforts with plant teams in organization change management, showcasing how the implemented tools and processes enhance work-lives and deliver desired outcomes.
A Tip From the Hero: Embracing Supply Chain Evolution with Process Evolution and Tool Empowerment
We like to ask every Supply Chain Hero the same question. What is the most valuable thing you have learned that you would want to share with other supply chain professionals?
“Supply Chain is swiftly evolving with AI and business intelligence playing an ever more prominent role in expedient decision making. LeanDNA and other BI tools are disruptors to traditional business practices that provide organizations a strategic competitive advantage. The key is understanding the accompanying processes that must be in place to leverage the tools, driving efficient Org Change Management (including training and leadership/frontline adoption), and demonstrating actual tangible KPI improvements upon full adoption.” - James Dawsey, Senior SIOP & Demand Management Leader at Modine
In the dynamic arena of supply chain management, James Dawsey emerges as a true hero, embodying foresight, innovation, and unwavering dedication to excellence. Through his leadership, Modine witnessed a remarkable reduction in shortages, a substantial improvement in clear to build percentages, and a significant decrease in capital tied up in inventory, ultimately enhancing inventory turns. His visionary approach not only transforms supply chain operations but also inspires others to embrace innovation and drive meaningful change in the ever-evolving landscape of supply chain management.
If you’d like to nominate someone for our Supply Chain Hero program or view more heroes stories, click here.
If James’s story resonated with you and you’d like to learn more about LeanDNA, click here to schedule a demo.
More Resources:
See More Intelligent Supply Chain Execution in Action
More from Modine: Adaptability as the Modern Supply Chain Superpower
Using Intelligent Supply Chain to Streamline Workflows and Boost Efficiency at MSA
