Straumann Cuts Inventory Pressures and Stabilizes Supply Chain with Intuiflow

As the world leader in dental implants manufacturing and distribution, Straumann Group competes in markets throughout the globe. Rapid adoption of implantology, SKU proliferation, and a tightly regulated environment created mounting challenges for its supply chain. Service levels slipped, inventories ballooned, and traditional forecasting could no longer keep pace with volatility.

Straumann needed a new way to align supply and demand while maintaining its commitment to product availability and global growth.

Executive Intro

Straumann Group oversees worldwide manufacturing and distribution operations across multiple plants and regions. Facing volatility, leadership recognized the urgent need for a supply chain model that could adapt in real time and deliver reliable service without excess inventory.

The Challenge

The global surge in dental implant adoption led to fast growth, rapid SKU proliferation, and increasingly complex flows within a highly regulated context. Despite increasing inventory levels, service levels declined, jeopardizing customer satisfaction.

After reviewing their supply chain practices, Straumann’s leadership team concluded that the existing forecast-driven paradigm had reached its limits. They saw the necessity of moving toward an end-to-end pull/flow approach that could adapt to rapid shifts in market conditions.

The Intuiflow Solution

Straumann Group selected Intuiflow from Demand Driven Technologies and first rolled it out at its French Anthogyr factory. The pilot demonstrated immediate value.

After one year, results were compelling enough for Straumann to pursue a group-wide Demand Driven transformation. By 2020, Intuiflow had been implemented in its main Swiss plant, with additional manufacturing and distribution sites scheduled for rollout in 2021.

Key capabilities introduced with Intuiflow included:

• Buffer positioning and sizing
• Demand signal filtering
• Planning and execution processes that stabilize schedules
• Improved bi-directional information and material flow

These enhancements allowed Straumann Group to:

• Rebalance and reduce inventories
• Cut finished goods replenishment lead times
• Stabilize production schedules
• Align manufacturing and distribution facilities under consistent priorities

Results at a Glance

• Rebalanced and reduced inventories
• Reduced replenishment lead times for finished goods
• Stabilized production scheduling
• Synchronized priorities across manufacturing and distribution sites

The Results

KPI Table

The transformation allowed Straumann to maintain service excellence while protecting profitability and operational resilience.

Looking Ahead

Straumann plans to extend Intuiflow’s demand-driven logic across additional manufacturing and distribution sites. With buffers protecting critical flows and priorities aligned, the company is positioned to scale growth, withstand volatility, and continue delivering on its promise of world-class service.

Book a demo today and see how Intuiflow helps global leaders like Straumann achieve service excellence while cutting inventory and proving ROI before purchase.