LOGIS Production Planner enabling JFE Steel to improve due date performance and operational efficiency

JFE Steel Corporation (www.jfe-steel.co.jp) has deployed a new planning system for production load verification of its shaped steel operation in Kurashiki. The purpose of the new system is a further improvement of due date performance and reliability of supplies, taking place in parallel with an efficiency increase of the order fulfillment process.

Tokyo, Japan, February 23, 2022

Delivering on its mission to be a fast and reliable supplier, JFE Steel has decided to deploy a new advanced planning system (APS) to improve the efficiency of its order fulfillment process of long products production at the Kurashiki works.

In March 2021, JFE Steel has deployed a new planning system into routine operation for production load verification of its shaped steel operation in Kurashiki. The newly implemented system has the ability to predict the load on refining processes and yard capacities and generates a ready-to-ship plan immediately after a change to the rolling plans occurs.

Thanks to introducing the new planning system, JFE Steel has improved its due date management accuracy thanks to achieving a higher reliability of ready-to-ship predictions and achieved a labor productivity improvement by making production planning operation significantly more efficient — the required time on some of the operations was reduced by as much as 90% compared to the case when these operations were done manually. In addition, the new planning system contributes to operational efficiency of internal logistics and vessel arrangement.

LOGIS Production Planner is the basis of the new planning system: a software developed by the LOGIS company (logis.net) primarily for use in demanding planning environments which, beside other things, require a high degree of customizability of the software tools. The metals industry is a typical demanding planning environment. Using the advanced features of this software, JFE Steel has developed its own functions and incorporated them into its new planning system and deployed the system into JFE’s private cloud, which also enabled it to minimize the development period.

JFE Systems has also expressed its commitment to keep further improving its productivity using advanced planning technologies to optimize operational conditions and an intention to proceed with rollouts of the system to other areas.

The implementation project of the new planning system took place in 2020. The supplies to JFE Steel were executed in cooperation between JFE Systems and LOGIS. The initial plan of the implementation expected several days of joined work of the experts of both JFE and LOGIS on site at Kurashiki each month during the project. However, this approach had to be reevaluated after Covid struck in spring 2020. All cooperative activities then took place fully over distance over the internet with many contributors working from home. Even despite that, all planned project results were achieved, and the project was thus finished successfully, with almost no delay to the original plan. The implementation teams proven a high degree of professionalism and a very good ability to cooperate even in difficult conditions.

“We’re pleased that our software technologies and expert services were again successfully utilized at JFE Steel. We have met experienced professionals both at JFE Steel and at its service organization JFE Systems, who have high demands on their suppliers, but are also a joy to work with,” says Tomas Vojtik, Executive Director of LOGIS.

About JFE Steel Corporation

JFE Steel is a steelmaker engaged in the total steel-making process, taking iron ore raw material and turning it into final products. JFE Steel satisfies customers by producing steel under a corporate philosophy of “contributing to society with the world’s most innovative technology.” The company also contributes to environmental protection by developing reduced-impact ironmaking processes and high-performance steel materials.

About LOGIS

LOGIS is a provider of business services and a producer of Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS) and Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) software. The services and software of LOGIS enable its customers to achieve tangible improvements of operational efficiency and customer delivery performance. LOGIS has implemented approximately 100 planning systems around the world in the last quarter of century for customers in metals industry and discrete manufacturing (machinery, automotive, etc.). Its customers range from relatively small local producers to extremely complex, large-scale manufacturing enterprises with demanding planning environments.