Optimizing Supply Chain Efficiency with Intuiflow at Eminess Technologies

Eminess Technologies manufactures and distributes surface-finishing solutions for high-tech materials used in electronics, optics, aerospace, and medical industries. Headquartered in Arizona with manufacturing and distribution in Monroe, North Carolina, and a European hub in Switzerland, the company serves a global customer base that demands precision and reliability despite supplier variability and temperature-sensitive logistics.

Historically, Eminess managed planning via a homegrown reorder-point process. Results were solid, but the company’s move to NetSuite (late 2018) exposed gaps: NetSuite’s native planning wasn’t sufficient for Eminess’ 4,500 finished items, lead times ranging from 3 to 150 days, and raw materials that sometimes can ship only six months of the year. Supply Chain Manager Mark Evans began sourcing alternatives that could modernize planning without sacrificing demand-driven discipline.

That’s when they turned to Intuiflow. Intrigued by DDMRP’s alignment with their prior approach, Evans and stakeholders chose Intuiflow (Replenishment+) for NetSuite. A DD Tech team of three specialists provided four days of in-depth training; NetSuite and Intuiflow launched in tandem on January 2019 with no business interruption. Within months, Eminess centralized planning and purchasing in Monroe, streamlined supplier engagement, and began to see measurable results.

Results at a Glance

• 95%+ OTIF sustained through the pandemic
• 6% inventory reduction in year 1; ~12% lower inventory by 2021 vs. go-live
• Planning centralization: 7 global planners → 2 core roles; 5 redeployed
• Lower shipping costs & stronger supplier relationships via consolidated orders
• Risk-ready planning using Intuiflow’s Demand Order Window for long-lead, shelf-life items

The Challenge

Eminess manufactures, customizes, and distributes products for slicing, grinding, lapping, and polishing critical surfaces. Customer tolerances are tight; supplier reliability varies. The portfolio includes ~4,500 finished items built from ~270 raw materials plus ~1,000 distributed parts. Lead times range from 3 to 150 days. Several raw materials are temperature-sensitive and can only ship six months of the year, requiring seasonal positioning (especially for Switzerland) and longer planning horizons.

The legacy, manually set reorder-point system workedbut required many people across regions and frequent manual changes. A late-2018 move to NetSuite revealed that native planning wouldn’t meet Eminess’ needs. Evans sought a demand-driven solution that could embed into NetSuite, handle long lead times and shelf-life constraints, and scale without adding overhead.

“In a global pandemic with unprecedented supply chain issues, we were very pleased.” — Mark Evans, Head of Global Supply Chain Management

The Intuiflow Solution

Simulation-first → ROI proven before purchase.

Live in weeks, ROI in ~60–90 days.

Autopilot optimized buffers item by item.

Intuitive UI reduced firefighting and manual work.

Eminess selected Intuiflow (Replenishment+) for NetSuite. The Demand Driven Technologies team sent three specialists for four days of onsite training and configuration. Go-live (January 2019) was seamless: “We didn’t really miss a beat… no interruption to the business whatsoever,” said Evans.

Key enablers:

• DDMRP buffer positioning and tailored buffer profiles to reflect Eminess’ variability, MOQs, and long leads.
• NetSuite-native workflow (Planner’s Workbench, unified purchasing/scheduling views) to eliminate spreadsheet sprawl and improve visibility.
• Centralized execution in Monroe to consolidate orders, reduce shipments, and strengthen supplier relationships.

When COVID-19 hit, Eminess leveraged Intuiflow’s Demand Order Window extending the qualified demand horizon (lead time + extra time) so planners could create work orders 4–5 months ahead and buy earlier for known demand, without reverting to forecast-driven stockpiling that risks expiry on short-shelf-life materials.

“I was very impressed with the amount of support we received… New features were addressed for development before I could even ask the questions.” — Mark Evans

The Results

Eminess achieved a 6% inventory reduction in the first year with no added overhead while sustaining >95% OTIF. By 2021, inventory levels were ~12% lower than at go-live (2019). The company centralized planning and purchasing in Monroe, redeploying 5 of 7 global planning roles to other functions (now 2 core planners run the process). This consolidation improved supplier relationships (“Nobody likes getting four different orders from four different people”) and reduced shipping costs via fewer, larger, coordinated shipments.

During the pandemic, the Demand Order Window proved decisive. For long-lead, temperature-sensitive, and single-source items, the team could purchase well in advance of need based on real demand, not guesses maintaining >95% service to communications and medical customers while mitigating expiry risk. Because the horizon extension is parameter-driven, Eminess can dial it back and naturally let inventories normalize within a few months when supply stabilizes.

Evans credits additional gains to custom buffer profiles tuned to Eminess’ real variability distribution and MOQs reducing WIP/inventory oscillation while preserving agility.

“We only appreciated these benefits once we got into the software and realized how much it had changed the way we worked.” — Mark Evans

KPI Table

Looking Ahead

Eminess will keep leveraging Demand Order Window parameters seasonally (for temperature-sensitive flows) and continue refining buffer profiles to mirror supplier MOQs and variability. With NetSuite + Intuiflow embedded, the team plans to deepen exception-based planning, maintain 95%+ OTIF, and keep inventories right-sized as markets evolve. 

“As we saw demand in our system, we were creating the work orders for it even four or five months in the future.” — Mark Evans

Book a demo today to see how Intuiflow can help you sustain 95%+ service, reduce inventory, and plan months ahead, so you can also experience Eminess-level results without risky stockpiles.

Eminess Technologies DDMRP Journey