IMMO - Integrated Materials Management Optimization

Considering the new paradigm in the industry, where clients request small amounts of a growing range of products, the times of crisis and the fierce competition for businesses survival, it is crucial for companies competitiveness being able to reduce the waste of raw materials. In a macro view of the problem, the main objective of this project involves the study and production of a tool for optimizing the use of materials in the industry, allowing to address, in an integrated manner, the two critical phases of the raw materials management process:

What materials to order?
How to use these materials in a production environment?

The integrated view of these two phases is crucial to obtain global optimizations and in that way, a model representing that reality will be built. The inclusion of a cutting simulation component at the planning stage of materials acquisition and the calculation methods used in problem solving, complete the main innovation factors of the project. Through this decision support system, we expect to achieve a reduction in the waste of raw materials, a more correct management of existing stocks, the application of economies of scale and better planning of future needs. Basically we aim to reduce the total cost associated with the acquisition and management of materials, which can easily lead to very significant savings.