Corus Aluminium Voerde will Plan with Quintiq Solution

Mannheim, August 18, 2005 – The primary aluminum producer Corus Aluminium Voerde GmbH is going to implement the Quintiq Advanced Planning & Scheduling solution. The system will help the aluminum manufacturer optimize its production processes, thus better meeting growing demands from its customers. The Quintiq implementation, integrated into the existing SAP system, will streamline the supply chain and boost productivity at the Voerde plant, while reducing the costs of metal purchasing and processing.

Annually, 90,000 t of primary aluminum from the electrolysis and 30,000 t of recycled material are processed by the Voerde foundry and cast into primary ingots, rolling ingots and billets. The material is then homogenized and cut according to the specific customer and product requirements. Most of it – 60,000 t – is subsequently processed into products for the automotive industry at Corus Aluminium Rolled Products in Koblenz. Fifty percent of the billets production is destined for critical safety-relevant automotive applications, such as chassis components, and undergoes comprehensive ultrasonic testing.

The complexity of aluminum production demands flexible and transparent planning throughout the process chain. This is where the Quintiq solution comes into play: the software is able to map every planning action, including specifications, delivery due dates, constraints and wandering bottlenecks, as well as planners’ decisions and their consequences. With Quintiq, it will be possible to increase productivity by optimizing resource utilization, to improve delivery performance by reducing lead times and to guarantee adherence to delivery dates. A cost reduction is predicted – due to superior planning and purchasing of recyclable metals and the optimization of the production process.

The Quintiq Application Suite has the capacity to create transparency throughout the entire production chain. Planning decisions can be visualized for better coordination between planning and production. The solution takes changes in production, e.g. shutdowns and maintenance work, into account and allows real-time reporting of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). In addition, it saves time in developing or adapting plans. It even lets planners model “what if?” scenarios.

“We chose Quintiq based on the good track record of the Quintiq solution at Corus Koblenz,” explains Dr. Wilfried Schaper, Casthouse Manager at Corus Aluminium Voerde GmbH. “The technology can be adapted flexibly to our requirements, including the special types of orders we receive and the necessary production steps.”

“Our software enables Corus Aluminium Voerde to master its optimization challenges, to visualize complex processes and boost the efficiency of its production,” says Victor Allis, CEO and cofounder of Quintiq. “The decision of Corus to also implement Quintiq at its Voerde plant confirms our expertise in Advanced Planning & Scheduling solutions for the aluminum industry. Other customers in this sector include Alcan, Alcoa, Hydro and Novelis.”

Corus Aluminium Voerde GmbH
Corus Aluminium Voerde GmbH specializes in the manufacture of products with a high added value for the automotive industry. The aluminum producer places great importance on market and customer-orientation. Further information is available at www.corus-voerde.de.

Quintiq
Quintiq is a supplier of advanced solutions in the field of planning, scheduling and supply chain management. Standardized application suites enable companies to integrate a variety of business processes and improve profitability. Further information is available on the Internet: www.quintiq.com.

For more information:
Quintiq
Martijn van Gils
Marketing Director
Tel. +31-(0)73 6910739
E-mail: martijn.van.gils@quintiq.com