Client Case Study

EastWest, a contract manufacturing firm with facilities in China and Vietnam developed and perfected a spreadsheet based prototype to model their vision of simplifying offshore procurement. When products manufactured overseas are purchased, shipping is a major portion of the cost and shipping partial containers is very expensive. EastWest had a vision that allowed smaller companies the benefit of purchasing products manufactured overseas and shipping full containers to reduce the overall product cost.

The application built by SolTech allowed a group of buyers to order products online in a manner that allowed orders to ship in full containers instead of partial  containers. With the browser based tool, buyers could actually see the container and its capacity. Once a container is filled, it ships.

The system automatically takes into account all the dynamically changing variables that affect the supply chain process, and reduces the risk to such an extent that the ordering of offshore manufactured products becomes possible for companies that could not previously consider this option.

EastWest met with SolTech and analyzed each screen of the excel model and analyzed each step of the process, comparing the excel process to the potential benefits that an automated process could bring.  SolTech enhanced the process by adding parameter driven business rules to the product.

SolTech built a web based application that for all intents enabled a direct ship model that removed the middleman from the process.

This reduced costs, and enhanced profitability for the manufacturer and the client.  The visual “Container Wizard” tool manages the process of efficiently loading and consolidating shipping containers.

According to Ellyson, “The Container Wizard application allows our customers to literally pack a container using the visual tools provided. In this day of rising shipping charges, reduced shipping capacity and increased competition, it’s critical that that cost is extracted from every step of the process. This application enabled container consolidation at a greater level than any of our competitors.”

SolTech continues to provide product support and enahancements as required.

East West Enterprises is a contract manufacturing firm with facilities in China and Vietnam and manages over 100 subcontracted suppliers in Asia.

With their revolutionary approach to offshore procurement, they work with world class Six Sigma and ISO Certified manufacturers to bring best of breed manufactured products and components to US markets. By forming strategic partnerships between these companies they have formed a network of suppliers that will give organizations the benefits of buying from an off shore supplier with the safety net of domestic sourcing.

EastWest provides an end-to-end service to its U.S. based clients that automates the process of ordering and shipping component parts and assemblies from offshore manufacturers to the U.S.A.

http://www.ewmfg.com/