Fuji Xerox faced several challenges. Delivery inquiries from distributors had to be manually associated with order information and container B/L documents. Response to delivery inquiries was slow and delivery date estimates inaccurate because Fuji Xerox had to contact each transportation carrier for shipment status updates before warehousing dates could be estimated. Manual handling of an average of 1,800 inquiries a month created an excessive workload for staff. Distributors had begun securing extra stock in a system known as just-in-case inventory to prevent inventory shortages at hub warehouses in each region, leading to chronic over-inventory