Win wire
MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL
SOLUTION
Business Applications + Azure Data & AI
INDUSTRY
Manufacturing (Energy, Automotive)
SEGMENT
Unmanaged
At a Glance
CHALLENGE
Required processes and systems overhaul to support becoming a Tier 1 automotive supplier
SOLUTIONS
Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management, Sales, Project Operations + Power Platform + Azure Data & AI
MCA Connect Inspire Platform™ + AutoCONNECT™
RESULTS
Competitive takeout of Oracle, Salesforce, and AWS
Estimated $400-500k per year of D365 + Power Platform licensing
Net-new Azure migration with Inspire Platform for cloud analytics and AI
Their challenge
Aspen Aerogels manufactures aerogel products and is shifting to the Tier 1 automotive supplier market after discovering a product fit for the growing EV battery industry.
Using Oracle, Salesforce, and AWS, Aspen pays hefty maintenance fees while lacking modern capabilities for the automotive industry. To meet the automotive industry’s complex requirements, Aspen needs an expert to lead them through a processes and systems overhaul and build capabilities for:
- Electronic data interchange (EDI)
- Release accounting
- Bid response management
- Quality assurance
- Preventive maintenance
- Real-time cloud analytics and automation
Our solution
On Microsoft’s recommendation, Aspen contacted MCA Connect to help establish new processes and prepare for their future as a Tier 1 automotive supplier. Our industry experts quickly identified and helped prioritize 673 improvement opportunities to reduce end-to-end lead times and drive profitability in this new business model – enabled by the comprehensive suite of Microsoft Platform solutions and MCA Connect IP:
- Dynamics 365 Finance and Supply Chain Management for a unified, cloud-based ERP system that enables Aspen to efficiently manage their financials, inventory, production, procurement, and logistics while staying compliant.
- Dynamics 365 Sales with Copilot + MCA Connect’s AutoCONNECT™ Bid Response for end-to-end management of global automotive OEM bid response now spanning six initial OEMs
- Dynamics 365 Project Operations for development of new products/programs
- Power Platform to enable employees to ‘stay in the flow’ of work and connect remaining gaps in value chain
- Azure Fabric-based MCA Connect Inspire Platform™ for real-time analytics, prediction, and automation
Results
As a result of this cross-solution approach, Aspen will:
- Save an estimated $5.6M over five years by eliminating Oracle, Salesforce, and AWS, reducing licenses, services, and IT overhead
- Improve productivity and data quality by eliminating 90 spreadsheets and associated manual processes
- Optimize sales planning with streamlined processes
- Win more bids with faster response time and increased accuracy
- Unlock opportunities to optimize their value chain by leveraging real-time intelligence and automation
Microsoft impact
- Competitive takeout of Oracle, Salesforce, and AWS
- Estimated $400k-$500k/year of Dynamics 365 + Power Platform licensing
- Net-new Azure migration with Inspire Platform foundation for cloud analytics and AI
What’s next?
With enhanced capabilities and efficiency powered by Microsoft and MCA Connect, Aspen Aerogels is poised to become a competitive player in the Tier 1 automotive supplier market.
Aspen is also exploring new opportunities and markets for their aerogel products, such as electric vehicles, aerospace, and defense. Using a cross-solution approach, Aspen will soon have the agility, scalability, and flexibility to adapt to changing customer needs and industry trends.
MICROSOFT RECOGNITION
Thanks to Jesse Alleyne for your help and support in winning this deal.
