So that it can always keep on top of customer orders, this Chinese steel manufacturer worked with Lenovo to build a big data analytics platform that boosted the accuracy of demand forecasting by 90%, significantly increasing on-time order fulfillment – and customer satisfaction.

1. So that it can always keep on top of customer orders, this
Chinese steel manufacturer worked with Lenovo to build a big
data analytics platform that boosted the accuracy of demand
forecasting by 90%, significantly increasing on-time order
fulfillment – and customer satisfaction.
MAJOR CHINESE
STEEL MANUFACTURER
Sharpening its competitive edge
with big data analytics and AI.

2. One of China’s largest steel manufacturers, this company
operates tens of production sites and distribution centers
across the country, employing more than 100,000 people and
producing millions of tons of steel a year. The company has
grown substantially in the last decade and now exports its
products worldwide.
One significant growth area has been the automotive industry.
In the last decade, the company has won supply contracts with
dozens of automotive companies. Today, it produces over
45,000 parts for use in hundreds of different car models.
To fulfill customer orders in an accurate, timely manner,
manufacturers must ensure that supply meets demand. But
because the company’s business data was stored in disparate
systems, it struggled to gain a unified overview of orders
and inventory.
With no way of forecasting demand for its products, a few
years ago the company found itself caught by surprise when
it experienced a sudden surge in orders for car bodywork
parts – making it difficult to fulfill orders.
Determined never to be in that situation again, the company
decided to build a big data analytics platform that would
enable management to predict demand and fine-tune
production planning accordingly. After selecting Apache
Hadoop for its big data architecture, the company sought
a hardware partner it could turn to for support.

3. After evaluating offerings from several vendors, the company
engaged Lenovo to design and implement the big data
platform. Unlike its competitors, Lenovo could provide a
complete end-to-end solution, replacing all existing data siloes
with a single platform made up of five Lenovo System x3650
M5 servers, equipped with powerful Intel® Xeon® E5 processors.
Next, Lenovo integrated data from the company’s business
systems with data from external systems and sources, including
from market analysts, and upstream and downstream suppliers.
A team of big data experts from the Lenovo Capital and
Incubator Group then wrote an algorithm which harnesses AI
and machine learning technologies to predict future demand
based on that data, including everything from historical sales
to current market trends. This means that management will
be much better able to identify sales patterns across the
enterprise, empowering them to make smarter
strategic decisions.
With the Lenovo solution, the company has improved the
accuracy of demand forecasting by 90%, transforming how the
company manages its production planning and supply chain
processes. Today, it can forecast demand based on lots of
different criteria – for example by product, by type of steel or
by customer – and adjust production accordingly, significantly
increasing on-time order fulfillment.
Supported by Lenovo, the company has unlocked the value
of its data and, by integrating it with external sources, heralded
a new age for the company. Its innovative use of big data
analytics means the company is always one step ahead of
competitors – ready to meet demand and keep
customers satisfied.
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With the Lenovo solution, the
company has improved the accuracy
of demand forecasting by 90%,
transforming how the company
manages its production planning
and supply chain processes.
CS00067-00
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4. MAJOR CHINESE STEEL MANUFACTURER
Sharpening its competitive edge with big data
analytics and AI.
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
With the Lenovo solution, the company has improved the
accuracy of demand forecasting by 90%, transforming how the
company manages its production planning and supply chain
processes.
Solution components
Hardware
Lenovo System x3650 M5 with
Intel® Xeon® E5 processor family
Software
Lenovo Big Data Development Kit
Lenovo Hadoop Distribution
Lenovo Knowledge Graph
Lenovo Machine Learning Studio
Lenovo Octopus
MySQL Server
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Services
Lenovo Application Development
Services
Lenovo Algorithm, Data Processing
and Modeling Services
When this Chinese steel manufacturer was faced with a sudden
rush of orders it was left struggling to fulfill, it knew it had to take
action. Working with Lenovo, the company has transformed its
supply chain from an impediment into an AI-driven resource with
90% improved forecasting and increased on-time order fulfillment.