ARQOS is an enterprise software platform being developed to improve planning performance by continuously evaluating and optimizing supply chain master data within existing ERP and planning environments

The Problem

Enterprise planning outcomes are largely driven by supply chain master data with tens of thousands to millions of configuration parameters such as safety stocks, lot sizes, and planning policies. While these parameters have a material impact on inventory, service, cost, and working capital, they are typically set manually, governed inconsistently, and rarely revisited as conditions change.

ERP and planning systems assume master data is correct. When it is not, the result is distorted planning signals, excess inventory, service failures, and increasing manual planner intervention. Existing governance tools focus on data integrity and controls, not on whether planning parameters are economically optimal or aligned with business objectives.

As enterprise scale and complexity have increased, manual master data governance has become impractical, leaving planning performance dependent on individual expertise rather than institutionalized logic.

In 2025, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals identified data quality and cleansing as the leading blocker to effective AI adoption in supply chain planning, reinforcing master data as a foundational constraint.

Why Now

Several structural forces have converged:

• Enterprise planning environments now contain millions of interdependent parameters, far exceeding human governance capacity

• AI and automation amplify data quality issues rather than correct them

• ERP vendors are not economically incentivized to continuously optimize customer-specific planning data

• Planning logic increasingly resides in individuals, creating fragility when expertise changes or leaves

These conditions have created a gap between how planning systems are configured and how enterprises intend to allocate capital, manage risk, and achieve service objectives.

ARQOS was designed to address this gap.

The Solution

ARQOS is designed to operate as a software layer within existing ERP and planning ecosystems. Rather than replacing core systems, it continuously evaluates planning parameters, identifies suboptimal or misaligned settings, and quantifies their operational and financial impact.

The platform supports governed optimization by:

• Monitoring planning outcomes relative to business objectives

• Identifying parameters that drive excess inventory, service degradation, or inefficiency

• Recommending prioritized parameter adjustments based on economic impact

• Supporting controlled, auditable updates within enterprise governance frameworks

ARQOS elevates master data from static configuration to a managed, continuously evaluated strategic asset aligned with service, cost, and working capital objectives.

Evidence

In live production within a Fortune 100 enterprise environment, ARQOS delivered measurable financial and operational impact:

• Freed 24% of working capital while maintaining service levels

• Reduced pallet positions by 22%, lowering warehouse load

• Improved MRP adherence from under 30% to over 90%

These results demonstrate ARQOS’ ability to align planning configuration with enterprise financial performance at scale. The current focus is expanding deployment and replicating outcomes across additional business units and enterprise environments.

Business Model

ARQOS is being developed as an enterprise SaaS platform designed to operate within existing ERP and planning environments.

Licensing is designed to scale with operational footprint and planning scope, expanding as optimization is rolled out across plants, regions, and planning domains. The model supports long-term enterprise adoption aligned with sustained planning improvement rather than one-time transformation initiatives.

To learn more contact Rob Mason

robmason@masonsupplychain.com