ChainScope - optimize and evaluate

In the end, the question in such complex networks is how final customer delivery reliability (service level and lead time) may be accomplished by the lowest integral stock levels keeping in mind that your customer demand is highly fluctuating and uncertain and that your supply network most probably is not free from lead time variations, quality issues and other typical supply network disturbances.

Finding the best strategy for these situations of multi-node multi-echelon multi-product inventory control is a notoriously difficult problem.

ChainScope is a tool that gives you the logic to analyse just these types of complex networks. It finds for you the best strategy for where to locate your materials (stock points) and how to control these (stock levels and replenishment policies). It identifies the relationship between inventory capital invested and operational performance accomplished in complex value networks and supports both optimization and evaluation. Moreover, it gives you the inventory control strategy and parameters values to make it happen.

ChainScope, the ‘business hypothalamus’ optimizes the current value of networks in existing systems. It is an instrument which foresees to generate real control parameters in advance to work in conformity with the company’s overall objectives. Also it generates the norms to provide the appropriate feedback for your business sections and management.

ChainScope applies generic Consumer/User Decoupling Point strategies that enable differentiated customer service for each product customer combination (PCC) defined. This concept generalizes existing CODP concepts and materializes into operational control rules to implement differentiated control in day-to-day practice.

The reported reductions in inventory capital investment are between 20% and 60% of the on-hand stock. Side effects are improved customer service and a reduction of the obsolescence. ChainScope is a tactical inventory solution to scientifically set precise safety stock targets that fuels new efficiencies in existing ERP and APS systems.

The standalone tool identifies the relationships between inventory capital invested and operational customer service in complex value networks and supports optimization. ChainScope generates control parameters for operational planning systems.

In the "optimizer" mode ChainScope calculates the optimal stocking policy for a given performance requirement differentiation by product-customer combination and thereby the allocation of (safety) stocks to stock points and to customers.

In the "evaluator" mode ChainScope simulates the network given the stocking policy and thereby gives an insight in costs and performance realized. It links the actual situation with the network model and provides a reference for inventory strategy changes and supply chain improvements.