Recently with the COVID-19 pandemic, JORI used the pause in operations to move forward with a new production planning system. In the past, JORI used a simple calculation algorithm for production planning that was part of their ERP system. But this solution was not able to handle all of the additional steps needed to address COVID-19 and to allow workers to safely return to the factory. The manufacturing process included a lot of manual labor, so JORI needed to be able to create detailed production plans that would accommodate social distancing among workers as well as 72-hour delays in handing furniture pieces off from one team to another to minimize the risks of workers infecting each other.
The production planning system, which was custom built by CD-Invest, is running on the same IBM i and Power Systems platform that supports the 3D configurator. JORI now has three powerful tools at their disposal to help them quickly deliver the furniture that their customers want, even under the less-than-ideal selling conditions created by COVID-19. Finishing the project quickly was extremely important so that JORI could reopen their factory. The owner of JORI was so confident that the new production planning system properly address COVID-19 concerns that he invited the Belgian government in to review the new manufacturing process and collaborate on best practices for operating businesses amid the challenges of a pandemic.
