Case Study: ASK Power achieves 99% on-time delivery and higher margins with Plex Systems' DemandCaster

ASK Power Improves On-Time Delivery to 99% with Plex DemandCaster

ASK Power, a more-than-50-year-old manufacturer of electrical power connectors in Aurora, Illinois, faced service and inventory problems after rapid growth: its ERP/MRP could not provide the detailed capacity planning needed to meet short customer lead times, and spreadsheet-based forecasting left inventory targets and S&OP unreliable.

By adding Plex DemandCaster for visual, finite/infinite capacity planning and S&OP—fed daily by the ERP—ASK Power gained accurate 45–60 day shop-floor forecasts, regenerated schedules by machine, and set realistic inventory targets. Results included 99% on-time delivery for 11 of 12 months, inventory turns rising from 2–3 to 5–6, lead times cut from 5–6 weeks to 2–3, reduced setup waste, and profit margins improving from 2% to over 10%.

ASK Power

Steve Kase

President and Chief Executive Officer