IVAR designs, develops, and manufactures high-efficiency heating and plumbing systems in Italy. The portfolio is vast—more than 10,000 catalogue items, from mass-produced components to unique assemblies and custom configurations.
That variety fuels growth, but it also makes planning hard: multi-level BOMs, shared components across product families, and customers who now expect short, reliable lead times.
The market had become “very, very nervous,” as CEO Paolo Bertolotti put it—customers wanted much shorter lead times, while the legacy, forecast-driven MRP pushed IVAR toward large batches and frequent re-planning.
Planners spent too much time reconciling suggestions, exceptions, and spreadsheets. Service suffered in peaks; inventory ballooned in lulls.
“Our goal is obvious: increase our service level and, at the same time, reduce inventory. With the actual organization we were not able to follow customers’ lead-time expectations.”
— Paolo Bertolotti, CEO
Introduced by PwC Italy, IVAR evaluated Demand Driven MRP (DDMRP) and Intuiflow. The appeal was practical: simple, effective rules that align stock to real consumption and make priorities visible to everyone—from the foundry to final assembly and sales subsidiaries.
“We were very attracted to this methodology because it looks very simple but very effective.”
— Paolo Bertolotti, CEO
Proof of Value (July): Using IVAR data, the team simulated buffer positioning and sizing to test how demand-driven decoupling would behave across IVAR’s multi-level BOMs (some with up to double-digit levels).
Proof Of Concept & Pilot (Sep–Dec): Go-live in a focused area to stress-test data, integration, and behaviors.
Rollout: Extend Intuiflow across vertically integrated flows—from foundry and machining to surface treatment, assembly, packaging, and distribution. Where IVAR initially moved “too fast” and skipped steps, they paused, stabilized master data and parameters, and resumed with a standard playbook.
Two challenges dominated—and shaped the operating model:
Integration, Not A Science Project. IVAR connected its ERP to Intuiflow quickly to get clean, timely signals in and out.
Mindset Change. The harder lift: moving planners from “push by forecast” to “manage by buffer priorities.”
“The first challenge was technical—make our ERP speak with Intuiflow. The second was the mindset of planners used to thinking a certain way for years. With training and patience, we’re getting there.”
— Daniele Serlini, Project Manager
IVAR redesigned where to place strategic buffers so variability is absorbed early instead of pushed downstream. The team avoided transferring variability from commercial demand into constrained machining centers, stabilizing core resources.
IVAR segmented products into families, mapped flows, and defined decoupling guidelines per family. That let planners choose the right control logic (make-to-stock, make-to-order, purchase-to-order) by item and node—rather than one rule for all.
Commercial and operations aligned on service classes and lead-time promises; buffers were sized to hit those targets with the fewest possible touchpoints.
Each morning, planners open Intuiflow and see exactly what needs attention—the few red/yellow items by location and level—while routine replenishment runs on rails.
“Information is immediately available, and understanding the urgency is very quick. Unlike the old system, focusing on the real problem is fast.”
— Daniele Zarlidi, Project Manager
IVAR standardized new routines (daily execution reviews, capability checks, parameter maintenance) and invested in training so teams understand the why, not just the screens.
“We are very happy with the collaboration because we’ve seen a very quick reaction to our requests to solve our problems.”
— Paolo Bertolotti, CEO
While IVAR is still extending the model, the operating improvements are already visible:
In short: planners spend less time arguing with suggestions and more time protecting flow.
IVAR is now introducing DD S&OP (DDS&OP) and Intuiflow’s APM (Advanced Planning Module) to project capacity, working capital, and supplier needs—linking executive trade-offs to the same buffer logic used on the shop floor.
“The next step is the introduction of DDS&OP with the APM module—an important instrument to reach our objectives.”
— Daniele Zarlidi, Project Manager
IVAR’s journey shows how a high-mix, vertically integrated manufacturer can simplify planning, cut lead times, and raise service—without adding complexity.
Intuiflow connects materials planning, scheduling, and execution in one platform. Planners manage by clear priorities, not forecasts and firefighting, with AI-tuned buffers and live dashboards.
With Autopilot, Intuiflow recalculates parameters daily so buffers stay tuned to reality—no spreadsheet gymnastics. Embedded analytics make performance transparent, and fast ERP integration keeps data accurate and timely.
See how Intuiflow can help your team move from forecast-driven chaos to demand-driven flow.
👉 Book an Intuiflow demo to explore what this would look like at your sites.