Ferrari selects Infor to drive supply chain planning improvements

Italian sports car manufacturer selects Infor Sales & Operations Planning solution

Iconic sports car manufacturer and Formula 1 team Ferrari has opted to expand its relationship with business application provider Infor by deploying the firm's Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) solution.

The deal will see Infor provide Ferrari with an S&OP automated workflow system that should help the Italian car company share supply chain information with 200 car dealers.

By selecting Infor's S&OP, Ferrari aims to improve accuracy of data and standardise planning and information flow processes in order to track dealer demand and the subsequent changes it may cause for automobile production plans.

The adoption of Sales & Operations Planning could therefore enable Ferrari to respond more quickly to changes in the market and meet customer demands with the added benefit of improved governance, approval and compliance processes.

Ferrari's decision to deploy S&OP follows a deployment of Infor's LN ERP solution last year. Speaking to Computing at the time, Ferrari CIO Vittorio Boero outlined the reasons behind opting for Infor.

"We executed a comparison between the different options available and selected Infor LN because the idea was to have a smooth transition to accompany the implementation of our new IT strategy," he said, going onto add the flexibility offered by Infor was also key.

"We do not need to wait for a new big release... [Enhancements can be] implemented in a very short time," Boero said.

With Ferrari now opting to use Infor's Sales & Operations Planning in addition to its ERP solution, Pieter Leijten, vice president supply chain at Infor welcomed the expanded relationship.

"Our relationship with Ferrari continues to develop as they extend their leadership position in the road car market," he said.

"For such a prestigious brand, every part of every process must drive excellence. Given the international demand for Ferrari cars, it is imperative that the most accurate picture of demand, from over 300 global dealers all offering individual, personalized supercars, is delivered to the production site in Maranello," Leijten continued.

"This demands world-class processes and technology. Infor S&OP will provide Ferrari with the foundation to obtain supply chain excellence," he added.