Empowering all in the digital age

On the 23rd of May 2018, Ryder Industries officially switched on their new EDI platform to support their long term partner BOA. Created in collaboration with BOA, Ryder Industries is excited about the possibilities that this improved system will bring to their business.

In a recent interview, Kingslea Chan, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, at Ryder Industries, described BOA as a ‘strategic customer of Ryder Industries’. BOA and Ryder Industries have a 15-year partnership, and as such, Ryder Industries invests in talent, technology, and processes to support their growing and evolving relationship needs.

The BOA product isn’t traditional EMS business, it has no electronic heartbeat. Kingslea Chan continued: “It’s mainly plastic, nothing electronic, so it’s unique from our traditional customer profile. The scale of the BOA build also takes us out of our traditional low volume/high mix model, as BOA is medium to-high volume manufacturing with several product configurations. We manufacture in the range of 100,000 units per month, with over ten variations. This type of manufacturing demands responsive supply chain systems and solutions.

“We call ourselves an EMS, but really in the case of BOA, we are a Manufacturing Service Provider (MSP). Through time, electronics has become just one component part of our business mix along the entire production lifecycle value chain of; plastic injection moulding, spray painting, Pantone colour mixing, UV coating etc.

“Taking the next step into the world of EDI with BOA enables us to serve their needs effectively and efficiently, and it is the next natural stage in the evolution of our continued relationship.

“For BOA, EDI will create a reactive supply chain, and for Ryder Industries, we will reduce waste along the same supply chain structure. As a result, yield will improve, and we will operate in real time with accurate operational data. In turn, this speeds up the entire manufacturing and supply chain process for BOA, whose market is growing at a rapid pace.

“We need complete visibility into when outsourced materials will arrive, as well as when the parts we develop in house, as part of our VI roadmap, will be available to commence the BOA build. Through our new EDI system, both Ryder Industries and our friends at BOA can view the same educational dashboards, achieving not only transparency but supply chain control.

“Flexibility is key in the BOA build. The nature of the product requires the ability to scale production volumes up and down as per forecast fluctuations. The system can be accessed by both Ryder Industries and BOA, where a schedule can be loaded and monitored allowing us to scale the manufacturing environment to suit actual requirements, again reducing waste and improving yield.

“Unfortunately, one common area of waste within EMS is human error. EDI, of course, decreases this significantly, automating manual functions such as invoicing. Transactions between BOA and Ryder Industries will now transfer electronically, rather than physically, simplifying the process, whilst providing an electronic fingerprint for identification and proof of purchase/receipt.

“Developing our EDI system in collaboration with one of our key customers has allowed us to focus on their specific and somewhat unique requirements. We now have a customised online tool that will enable us to serve their needs better, whilst removing supply chain fragility and potential blockchain issues.

“It is an exciting time at Ryder Industries as we continue to expand our potential into new and emerging markets, innovation and technology, whilst increasing our quality, attractiveness and customer satisfaction.”