AA Group Restores Flow and Frees Millions in Working Capital with Intuiflow

AA Group is one of Italy’s largest multi-utility companies—responsible for keeping the lights on, water flowing, and energy moving across Northern Italy.

From Milan to Brescia, the company manages a complex network of infrastructures—electricity, gas, water, district heating, public lighting, and smart city systems—serving millions of end users every day.

Behind this essential service, however, was a fragmented materials network that struggled to keep pace with the company’s growth.

Each division operated its own warehouses, processes, and suppliers. Inventory sat idle in one depot while critical components ran short in another. Technicians were forced to “order double to stay out of trouble,” and investment projects were often delayed for one simple reason—parts weren’t available when needed.

“We had lots of material and poor service at the same time—wrong items in the wrong places. People were working like crazy in emergency mode.”

— Federico Mauri, Managing Director, Public Lighting Business Unit, AA Group

The Challenge: Fragmented Systems, Constant Firefighting

AA Group’s supply chain had grown organically across multiple legal entities—each with different planning rules, disconnected ERPs, and zero visibility beyond their silo.

Warehouses existed physically but not digitally. Material consumption in the field wasn’t recorded in real time. And with no accurate demand signal, planners relied on guesswork. The result:

• Excess inventory tying up millions in capital.
• Frequent shortages disrupting maintenance and investment projects.
• Frustrated teams juggling spreadsheets and emergencies.
• Lost revenue opportunities from delayed infrastructure upgrades.

As Federico explained, “Every day was a fire drill. We had no way to predict what would be missing until it was too late.”

To change course, the company needed a planning model that could unify its operations, restore visibility, and balance availability with efficiency—without waiting years for a full ERP overhaul.

The Solution: A Bold Shift Toward Demand-Driven Planning With Intuiflow

AA Group launched a multi-year transformation called “Digimama” (Digital Material Management)—anchored by the Demand Driven MRP (DDMRP) methodology and powered by Intuiflow from Demand Driven Technologies.

Working alongside PwC, the team began with a six-month proof of value, simulating Intuiflow’s buffer logic using real data from the electricity network. The results were clear: service levels could rise while inventory and noise fell.

That success led to a full rollout, integrating Intuiflow’s cloud platform with SAP and IBM Maximo across all business units.

What Changed: Flow Across Every Network

Unified, Real-Time Visibility: Two central hubs (Milan and Brescia), dozens of local depots, and subcontractor warehouses now operate under one connected planning model. Every transaction—from supplier delivery to field consumption—is visible and traceable.

Dynamic, Demand-Driven Buffers: Intuiflow continuously recalculates inventory levels based on actual usage, lead times, and seasonality—ensuring the right materials are available where they’re needed most.

Closed Field Loop: Technicians now use tablets that list the required materials for each job. Once work is completed, the actual usage posts automatically—feeding clean demand signals back into Intuiflow.

Exception-Based Priorities: Planners focus on the few items in red that truly need attention, while Intuiflow automates routine replenishment for everything else.

Supplier Collaboration: By stabilizing orders and providing clearer forecasts, AA rebuilt trust with suppliers and reduced the bullwhip effect that once caused delays and excess.

“The day we connected material usage from the field into Intuiflow was the day we started trusting our numbers.”
— Federico Mauri

The Results: Control, Confidence, and Capital Unlocked

Within months of full implementation, AA Group achieved measurable, lasting improvements:

• Stockouts reduced by more than half, ensuring consistent service to cities and citizens
• Inventory turnover nearly doubled, freeing millions in working capital for new infrastructure investments
• No investment projects delayed due to material shortages
• Planners and technicians freed from daily firefighting, now working proactively by exception
• Standardized planning logic across five major divisions—electricity, gas, water, district heating, and public lighting

Perhaps the most important result: AA Group transformed materials management from an administrative burden into a strategic enabler of growth.

“We moved from random outcomes to a scientific way of making decisions. Today we know exactly why material is where it is—and that’s a huge change.”
— Federico Mauri

Turning Materials Management into a Strategic Advantage

AA Group’s transformation shows what happens when a utility designed for yesterday’s processes adopts a demand-driven operating model built for today’s complexity.

By implementing Intuiflow, the company didn’t just digitize procurement—it redefined how work flows from supplier to field technician. Planning became connected, predictable, and measurable.

What once caused frustration and capital loss now fuels service reliability and future investment.

Future-Proof Your Operations with Intuiflow

AA Group’s success highlights why utilities and infrastructure companies are turning to Intuiflow to regain control of their supply chains.

Intuiflow replaces rigid, forecast-driven planning with a dynamic, demand-responsive model that continuously adapts to reality. It connects planning, scheduling, and execution across every level of the organization—helping teams act on clear priorities, not outdated data.

Intuiflow: One Platform. Four Core Solutions

• Materials Planning: AI-optimized buffers and automatic replenishment keep materials aligned to true demand.

• Scheduling & Execution: Capacity-aware sequencing ensures field teams work on the right priorities.

• Sales & Operations Planning: Strategic alignment from investment planning to day-to-day execution.

• Demand Planning: Live visibility that turns variability into flow—not chaos.

With Autopilot, Intuiflow’s machine learning engine, parameters are recalculated daily for every item, ensuring buffers stay tuned to actual conditions—without manual effort. Embedded Power BI analytics make performance transparent, and seamless SAP integration ensures data accuracy and fast deployment.

AA Group proved that even in a complex, regulated environment, agility and control can coexist.

By moving from firefighting to flow, the company now delivers reliable service, optimized inventory, and sustainable growth.

See how Intuiflow can help your organization achieve the same transformation.

👉 Book an Intuiflow demo here to see how it can help you unlock the same results.