Airbus UK designs and manufactures wings for the Airbus family of aircraft.

The Airbus UK facility at Broughton was under pressure to improve the efficiency of its fastener supply chain.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) required improved traceability of products and Airbus’s suppliers wanted greater visibility of fastener usage to improve service and profitability levels.

WaerVMI dramatically streamlined the Airbus supply chain, with immediate improvements in service and cost, including:

• 82% reduction of stock
• 15-20% reduction in fastener usage
• 99% reduction in stock shortages
• 98% service level rating (up from 65%)
• 100% traceability of all products

In total, Airbus saw cost savings of $19m over three years, and a return on investment in less than six months.

"The purchasing team used to spend their time chasing urgently needed products. Now, they are able to focus on more strategic issues."

Procurement Project Manager, BAE SYSTEMS (Airbus)