2004 Articles
October 16, 2004
META Group Research - Complex Service Parts Planning: Part 2 - Working Like Clockwork Solutions
Meta Group Research - Analyst Insights
Clockwork Solutions, a relative unknown in SPP, is leveraging its expertise in predictive modeling and simulation to provide next-generation SPP solutions with a strong A&D emphasis and customer list. The company has built its SPP solutions around its knowledge and experience in modeling, designing solutions for rapid SPP simulations and scenario evaluations. Many SPP solutions take the stocking network as a given, which limits the ability to realistically test stocking and location strategies simultaneously. We believe it is critical, particularly in asset-intensive businesses, to be able to manipulate the network while concurrently evaluating multiple stocking strategies. Clockwork, with its simulation approach, combines network design like logic, which historically has been a standalone application, with "top-down-driven" multi-echelon parts planning, which allows companies to consider parts requirements, the network, and other constraints and objectives when building scenarios. We believe a simulation approach, like Clockwork's SPAR, that allows for multiple variables to be easily manipulated as part of the modeling process will be critical in sophisticated environments like A&D where the decisions can be more fundamental (e.g., Given a particular asset base where do I need parts? For a given asset, how do I maximize uptime given the budget? At what level do I hold inventory to support the given assets) than just where to stock a given part at a given time. Companies in A&D with complex SPP needs should consider Clockwork along with some of the other SPP specialists (e.g., MCA, Servigistics, Xelus), evaluating its simulation approach in comparison to the more traditional mathematics orientation of the others.