Automate material planning, before an order gets stuck
The digital colleague works through the planned orders, compares what is needed with what is in stock and prepares purchase advice. You see in time where it will pinch.
Boltrics- Item
- Required
- In stock
- Purchase advice
The plan for week 48.
What does the digital colleague do with material planning?
A shortage often shows up only once the order is on the shop floor. The digital colleague looks ahead: the planned orders for each week, the bills of materials behind them, the stock and what is already on its way. Where it does not add up, it prepares purchase advice with the supplier you normally use.
Look ahead
Planned orders and bills of materials calculated week by week.
See shortages
Requirements compared with stock and open purchase orders, per item.
Prepare purchase advice
Quantity, supplier and required delivery date, ready for approval.
One week ahead, from plan to purchase order
Every Monday morning the digital colleague looks at the orders that are planned. This is how it finds a shortage before it becomes a problem.
Plan retrieved
Planned orders for week 48
Bills of materials calculated
What is needed?
Stock compared
Required versus available
Supplier looked up
From purchase history
Purchase advice ready
In Boltrics
The result appears once every step is done.You decide what a person sees
Approving takes one click. Once it keeps going right, you only see the exceptions.
At first you approve everything
At first you see every purchase proposal before anything goes to a supplier.
A rule per check
For each check you decide whether to see it always or only if something deviates. We agree together what may proceed without approval.
Everything traceable
Every step is recorded. Each purchase proposal can be traced back to its underlying planning and stock.
- Order from usual supplierAlwaysOn deviation
- Price same as last orderAlwaysOn deviation
- Lead time misses the planAlwaysOn deviation
- New supplierAlwaysOn deviation
Works in what you already have
It works with your own ERP, planning and mailbox. Nothing needs to move and nothing is replaced.
Business Central
Exact
SAP
AFAS
Ridder iQ
Isah
Odoo
Infor
Oracle NetSuite
Excel
Outlook
During the back office scan, we determine together which connections you need and what is possible in your environment.
Questions about material planning and purchasing
Can AI automate material planning and purchasing?
Yes. A Flowstead digital colleague calculates planned orders and bills of materials, compares them with stock and open purchase orders, and prepares purchase advice in your ERP. Someone on your team approves it.
How is this different from the planning function in our ERP?
Your ERP calculates requirements. The digital colleague does the work afterwards: checking what is really needed, finding the supplier and lead time, and preparing purchase advice.
Does the digital colleague order from suppliers itself?
No. It prepares the purchase order in your ERP. It only goes to the supplier after someone on your team approves it.
Where does it get planning and stock data?
From your ERP: planned orders, bills of materials, stock and open purchase orders. Supplier and lead time come from your purchase history.
Does this replace our planner?
No. The digital colleague handles calculations and lookups. The planner keeps the overview, makes choices when needed and maintains supplier relationships.
What else it takes over
01QuotesEvery request becomes an accurate quote, with the right price for that customer.
02OrdersEvery order entered correctly in your ERP, without anyone retyping it.
04Shipping and customs documentsEvery shipment leaves with the right paperwork.
05Customer questionsCustomers helped faster. Only the exceptions still reach your desk.First, find out where things can improve.
Introductory conversationHalf a day on siteRoadmap
Not sure where to start? An introductory conversation with management and your back office, followed by half a day with your own orders and documents, helps us identify opportunities. You receive a roadmap per process, prioritised by impact and investment.
The scan is available as a standalone service. The roadmap is yours, even if you do not continue with us.