Eric Lindstrom has lived supply chain from the shop floor up. After years rolling out lean (Toyota Production System) as a consultant and leading PC&L at multiple Tier 1s, he joined Aptiv—formerly Delphi—to help modernize planning across a sprawling, global automotive operation.
By 2018–early 2019, a problem was clear. Aptiv’s plants routinely carried roughly 2x the inventory levels defined by their own operating standards, yet still battled variability and expedites.
The demand signal from OEMs—delivered via EDI—was volatile: about 65–70% accurate at 12 weeks, ~85% at two weeks, and ~95% in the current week.
Aptiv needed a planning method that could smooth supply signals, protect service, and unlock working capital—without adding complexity.
They piloted Intuiflow (formerly Replenishment+) on a small set of purchased components. The first 500 parts were successful, the plant went all-in, and once the team believed in the method, optimization happened fast.
Shortly after, Aptiv made the call: move from pilots to a global rollout across 100+ plants.
Aptiv evolved from Delphi (GM’s former parts group) into a technology company with two core businesses:
The growth of electrification expands wiring and connector content—an opportunity tailor-made for better planning and flow.
Aptiv started small: 50–100 purchased parts, then ~500, then plant-wide.
Change management was the real work: ~3 months of daily coaching before the “belief” clicked—then rapid optimization followed.
What changed:
Skeptics needed to see their own data.
Aptiv ran part-level comparisons of DDMRP vs. classic MRP across Wiring, Connection Systems, and Electronics. Once teams saw the impact, leadership approved global adoption (decision made in Q4 prior to COVID).
Rolling out virtually wasn’t the same as being on-site.
Aptiv adjusted by:
Aptiv is redesigning inbound flows with regional distribution centers:
Aptiv is executing an aggressive global rollout of Intuiflow across 100+ plants, backed by daily management, analytics, and a distribution model that amplifies buffer effectiveness.
As Lindstrom frames it, the objective isn’t to “manage working capital” day to day—it’s to run a process that naturally produces it: higher uptime, fewer expedites, and the right inventory in the right place at the right time.
Aptiv’s results are what Intuiflow was built for—turning volatile, forecast-driven operations into agile, demand-driven flow.
Intuiflow is a single, connected Demand Driven platform that brings planning, scheduling, and execution into perfect alignment with real demand. Instead of chasing shortages or rescheduling manually, planners see live priorities, AI-optimized buffers, and one version of the truth across teams.
Materials Planning: Keep inventory aligned to true demand—prevent shortages and overstocks with AI-optimized buffers and automated replenishment.
Scheduling & Execution: Turn production priorities into predictable performance by sequencing work to actual capacity and demand.
Sales & Operations Planning: Link strategy to execution with real-time visibility across sales, finance, and operations.
Demand Planning: Replace static forecasts with adaptive, data-driven plans that flex as the market shifts.
Autopilot, Intuiflow’s built-in AI engine, continuously fine-tunes parameters across every module—removing manual effort while keeping plans responsive to real conditions. Embedded Power BI dashboards deliver insights instantly, and secure ERP integrations ensure a smooth, fast deployment.
Aptiv’s global rollout shows how quickly Intuiflow scales: from pilot to 100+ plants, driving stability, agility, and working-capital gains—all in a matter of weeks, not quarters.
See how Intuiflow can help you cut shortages, simplify planning, and keep production flowing.