How FORVIA and ORTEC Co-Developed a Game-Changing MRP Tool
In an era where agility, efficiency, and sustainability are critical to global manufacturing organizations, a groundbreaking partnership between FORVIA and ORTEC is setting new standards. The result: a smart, SAP-integrated tool that improves truck loading efficiency and significantly reduces CO₂ emissions.
Driving Efficiency and Sustainability
Addressing a long-standing logistics challenge
FORVIA, a global leading automotive technology supplier, born in 2022 from the combination of Faurecia and HELLA, operates over 230 plants worldwide and manages the complex logistics associated with them, including procurement and transportation.
Despite FORVIA’s strong logistics capabilities, material planners currently have to adjust the Material Requirement Planning (MRP) tool manually, as SAP’s standard MRP does not yet factor in truck utilization.
Industry research highlighted a significant gap in the market. “Although there are load building tools on the market, they are not integrated with MRP, which means we lose a lot of agility in our supply chain.” Explains Stéphane RIVENQ, FORVIA’s Procurement & Transportation Director.
FORVIA therefore decided to take a more ambitious path: building a new MRP tool in partnership with ORTEC.
A Strategic Collaboration Takes Shape
ORTEC is a global expert in optimization solutions driven by applied mathematics and AI. Though intrigued, ORTEC’s teams were initially cautious. "There was nothing like this in the market. It was a bold idea, with real risk," says Julien GARBE, Managing Director of ORTEC France.
But FORVIA’s in-depth industry knowledge, coupled with a clear vision, convinced them. The two teams co-developed ISO, a new MRP tool for optimizing vehicle loads, improving end-of-month inventory management, and reducing transport-related CO2 emissions, based on ORTEC’s standard solution for load optimization.
Results that Exceed Expectations
Though still being rolled out, ISO is already operational on more than 200 logistics flows and the results are tangible.
- Truck loading efficiency improved by 12%, surpassing the initial 10% target.
- Material planners adopted the tool in less than four hours, thanks to a familiar SAP interface.
- Planning time drastically reduced, with users now completing in minutes what previously took hours with spreadsheets.
- 3D visualizations of truck loads make planning more intuitive and even enjoyable.
""The feedback from our teams has been very positive," says Stéphane RIVENQ. "We don’t need to push for adoption, it’s happening naturally.""
From Custom tool to Industry solution
The ISO tool is more than a one-off innovation; it’s the foundation of a broader strategy. ORTEC has since created a new industry vertically, with ISO as its cornerstone.
"Our approach has always been to co-build with a major industry player, then adapt the solution across the sector," says Julien GARBE. This strategy, previously used with our customers in the energy sector and food production, is now set to transform logistics in the automotive sector and beyond.
Sectors like food and beverage, which share similar packaging, inventory, and supplier dynamics, are also candidates for ISO’s expansion.
Next Steps: Toward a More Agile Supply Chain
Looking ahead, FORVIA and ORTEC plan to enhance ISO with new capabilities:
- Stock visibility at key dates (e.g., month-end inventory for cash flow management)
- Dynamic demand adjustments, allowing order changes in real-time with suppliers
- Streamlined supplier communication, cutting down on endless back-and-forth calls
"We want to bring true agility to the supply chain from transport to procurement. ISO will help us do that," says Stéphane RIVENQ.
Sustainability Meets Savings
In a world where reducing CO₂ often comes with high costs, ISO stands out as a rare win-win solution.
"It’s one of the few levers we’ve found to reduce emissions while cutting transportation costs," Stéphane RIVENQ notes.
For ORTEC, this marks another milestone in its mission to help global industries achieve operational excellence through long-term partnership.
By transforming a complex logistical challenge into a scalable digital solution, FORVIA and ORTEC prove that industry partnerships when built on trust, expertise, and ambition can deliver both operational excellence and environmental impact.
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