This whitepaper is a guide for distributors on implementing and integrating lean practices into their businesses. Lean is not just a tool, but also is a culture, philosophy, process, and methodology. A main goal in becoming more lean, to become more efficient and profitable at every iteration, can be brought about in ways such as analyzing end-to-end processes and determining how to deliver more with less and becoming more organized. Improved results from lean distribution can include increased profits, improved delivery performance, better customer satisfaction and supplier relations, and shorter lead times.
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The recent recession has forced distributors and manufacturers to pay closer attention to their bottom lines and to the financial factors that contribute to profitability. Gross margin is a popular measure of a company’s financial condition; but using gross margin without understanding how it affects profitability and business strategy can be misleading. An understanding of the relationship between the financial components of gross margin is essential for formulating sales and product strategies, and to implement techniques enabling an increase in net profit and maximization of return on investment.
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Traditionally, enterprise resource planning (ERP) served as a system of record and managed common tasks, transactions, and disparate business processes across the organization. However, the role of ERP has expanded to consider new technology forces that impact the way users interact with systems and new models for software deployment. Likewise, as businesses look to establish themselves as preferred trading partners, strive to cope with economic uncertainty, or extend services and products to new markets, greater demands are now placed on ERP software. Therefore, the role of the ERP system has had to expand. Download this white paper now to learn how today's ERP systems cope with current supply chain challenges.
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This Aberdeen Group report, based on over 170 survey respondents in manufacturing, provides best-in-class manufacturing approaches to ERP strategy. Today, 92% of manufacturers have implemented ERP. Still, recent data finds that a successful ERP implementation goes well beyond just putting it into place. ERP, and the organization itself, should be constantly moving forward. Successful manufacturers tailor ERP in reaction to business change and needs including adding new functionality or mobile access.
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Continuous process improvement is more critical than ever for manufacturers to become lean. One key area of focus is on the flow of product from supplier to customer. Naturally, any process that impedes the smooth flow of product is a source of additional cost to the company. Download this white paper now and learn about 3 key areas to reduce costs and improve product flow from quote to cash.
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Is your organization just beginning an enterprise resource planning (ERP) project, in mid-installation, or trying to recover from a failed or stalled implementation? Download this white paper to learn some strategies for successful ERP software implementation, including common ERP pain points (and how to avoid them), key considerations for new ERP projects, differentiators of best-in-class ERP implementations, and tips to make your ERP implementation more successful.
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Global competition, rising regulatory burdens, increasingly demanding customers, and profitability pressures all characterize an impatient business environment with little tolerance for the status quo. In an ongoing race to meet these challenges, manufacturers tie their fates to ERP systems. But selecting an ERP system is no easy feat. Read this white paper and get 10 best practices to consider when selecting an ERP system.
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In an ongoing race to meet present-day challenges, manufacturers tie their fates to ERP systems, and the degree to which those systems remain functionally viable in the face of new and shifting challenges is a major determinant of long-term business survival. Know how to recognize when your system becomes updated and what you need to do to remain vigilant and proactive in identifying and staying current with market evolution.
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Changing your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is no small undertaking. Many manufacturers continue to use outdated systems because the effort involved in switching seems too great even though the systems no longer meet all their requirements. How can you tell if your system is still good enough or ready to be replaced? Know the three critical questions manufacturers should ask to determine the right time to switch.
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems enable organizations to reduce costs, become easier for customers to do business with, and manage growth expectations. As organizations determine their ERP strategy, they need to choose the right ERP vendor partner. This guide explores the "pros and cons" of the four types of ERP partners: partner ecosystems, frameworks, best-of-breed packages, and end-to-end integrated solutions.
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Web 2.0 technologies bring capabilities to business users that were not possible previously. But the strategic value of these capabilities depends on your organization’s business strategy. This white paper describes the business challenges addressed by new Web 2.0 technologies, and ways that organizations can incorporate them to create powerful new business models.
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For decades, enterprise resource planning (ERP) replacement has been compared to brain surgery: You just don't do it unless the patient is dying. So how do you know when it really is the time to invest in a new ERP system? Download this white paper to find out.
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software selection and implementation can be complicated. But having an ERP strategy in place from the start makes it easier. And a good ERP strategy starts with the selection process itself. This Aberdeen Analyst Insight examines how best-in-class companies select ERP as part of an overall ERP strategy.
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is designed to be the system of record for operating and managing a business. But there's still a common perception that ERP is a luxury—and a high-risk implementation. The key to successful implementation of an ERP system that will adapt to your needs is a strong ERP strategy. This report examines changing perceptions around ERP strategies, and how best-in-class companies develop and maintain them.
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Most manufacturing enterprises use enterprise resource planning (ERP) as their main business system. It has always been assumed is that companies strive to have one single ERP system to unify all their parts and processes, but a survey shows that the average manufacturing company has 1.9 separate and distinct systems. This paper looks at how overall ERP strategy relates to companies’ performance.
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Lean is not an overnight quick-fix; it is an unending commitment. As lean thinking has evolved and the concepts broadened, lean advocates have come to recognize that enterprise resource planning (ERP) and lean work together very well. In this paper, read about how five lean principles are supported and enhanced by comprehensive information control and the management tools that one end-to-end enterprise software suite delivers.
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Newly available software platforms known as governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) technologies can help your business stay on top of the myriad procedures, tasks, and behaviors that bear upon compliance. This paper discusses the drivers behind the growing awareness of GRC information technology, introduces the elements of an effective automated GRC system, and suggests a low-risk, high-impact approach to launching GRC automation.
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Businesses have a variety of strategies to select from when implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems across their global organizations. The choice of configuration can have a profound impact on visibility across the organization, as well the cost and complexity of implementing and supporting the solution. This white paper describes the three principal choices.
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While companies seemed willing enough to let the applications that surround and extend their enterprise resource planning (ERP) system reside in a software-as-a-service (SaaS) environment, they were less willing to place their systems of record in a cloud they did not specifically own or control. But that is changing. This white paper discusses the advantages of a SaaS environment for ERP and argues that the cost savings can be substantial.
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Top organizations are turning to human resource information systems (HRIS) for all of their human resources (HR) needs. With an HRIS, companies can align HR strategy with business objectives to get the most out of their workforces and adapt quickly to market changes. Today’s best-in-class HRIS automate everything related to HR in a single Web-based software system This white paper was developed to help you select an HRIS.
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Selecting the right software provider for your business can be a daunting. The last thing any person or company wants is to invest in the wrong technology and choose the wrong partnership. This white paper identifies five common mistakes distributors make when embarking on the software selection process and provides tips for keeping your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system replacement on track.
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Recent trends in the distribution industry are forcing companies to continually re-evaluate their processes and value propositions and strategically chart new courses. This report contains support from a number of thought leaders for three resolutions that wholesale distributors can't afford to ignore.
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Sophisticated enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business intelligence tools have made it possible to quickly calculate and report key performance indicators and metrics. In this white paper, learn about a balanced approach, applying lean and Six Sigma concepts, to business process re-engineering, assessing the alignment of your policies and strategic goals, and implementing systems and organizational structures, to support a culture of measurable improvement.
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Managing employee performance may seem like a common sense business practice, but a recent study revealed that many employees have never had a performance review or have found their review to be not useful. This white paper discusses how implementing best practices for performance management company-wide can increase the likelihood that employees will be doing their best work possible while reducing the ineffectiveness of a fragmented performance management policy.
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Only 18% of North American companies feel their organization is well prepared to develop the leaders it will need over the next ten years. That's why it is now more important than ever to make the most out of talent management software to create employee development programs and succession plans. Download this white paper to learn how.
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When food manufacturer Unigate (now Uniq plc) embarked on a multi-million–pound plan to update the manufacturing and financial systems at its factories in the United Kingdom, it needed a system that would provide flexibility in production without loss of efficiency. The company chose Solarsoft’s Tropos ERP, which was particularly strong on recipe management—the core of Uniq’s business. Read about Uniq’s benefits with Tropos.
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When Turtle Wax Ltd (TWL), a leading supplier of car-care products from Skelmersdale, Lancashire, decided to start selling its products directly, not only did the company need to develop its own direct sales channels, but also the back-office infrastructure to support the change. See how Tropos ERP helped TWL achieve this goal and realize key benefits, including reduced packaging stocks and easier to add extra production.
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When whisky distiller Morrison Bowmore saw that its old information technology (IT) system could no longer cope with its rapidly expanding business, it knew it had to future-proof its business and replace the system with a mix of packaged and bespoke software. See how Tropos ERP, Tropos Whisky Workbench, and Tropos Active helped the company improve the management of its blending and bottling processes, among other benefits.
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Gala Coffee & Tea, a growing business in the coffee and tea processing, packing, and distribution field, needed systems that would help them operate more efficiently and improve customer service levels. Read the case study and see how Tropos ERP helped bring Gala Coffee & Tea both direct and indirect benefits to the business, including faster information processing, improved production yields, and better customer service.
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When Fox’s Confectionery was bought out from Northern Foods, it needed to rescale its information technology (IT) system. It selected Solarsoft to provide equivalent functionality, but without massive support infrastructure. See how Solarsoft’s Tropos ERP solution helped the company to rationalize its business processes, improve information access, reduce cost of ownership, and support an independent growing business.
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To meet rigorous traceability requirements, pharmaceutical manufacturers must arm themselves with the right tools, processes, and insight to uncover and report every element along the supply chain—from origin, all the way to the shelf. And, the cost of all this insight can’t be a barrier to enterprise financial success. If you’re ready to take traceability to the next level, there are a few things you’ll need to know.
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As a manufacturer your fate is tied to your ERP system. Whether you use a homegrown system, a generic, stand-alone ERP package, or a highly modified best-of-breed solution with a patchwork of third-party applications, there is a risk that your solution will become outdated and will not be able to meet the needs of your business. If this is the case, here are three major reasons to help you justify an ERP system replacement.
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If you're looking for your first enterprise resource planning (ERP) system or looking to upgrade from an existing system, the evaluation, selection, and implementation process is a long-term strategic decision for your organization that requires careful consideration and analysis. To help you through this process, read this white paper from Solarsoft and know eight simple steps for a successful ERP system selection.
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Production has stopped at your establishment due to an issue with one of your ingredients. It would be so much easier if everyone had access to the required information with a simple push of a button. As a food and beverage manufacturer, you have unique industry requirements. This white paper from Solarsoft explores why an integrated ERP system specific to your industry may be better suited than a generic ERP system.
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For many manufacturers, traceability is a valiant goal. But, for food and beverage producers, it’s a critical requirement. No one wants to put a single person at risk, let alone tens or hundreds. Yet, incidents of food-borne illnesses show up in the news every day. If your company is ready to tackle traceability as a legitimate problem, and stop viewing it as a trendy buzzword, there are four things you’ll need to know.
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When The Clientele Group of Epicor Software Corporation was faced with scalability and performance limits in their CRM software, they redesigned their application around the Microsoft® .NET Framework. A server architecture based on SQL Server™ 2000 and XML Web services removes their scalability limits, and supports multiple client applications. A smart client built with Windows® Forms gives customer support personnel a responsive application that is easy to deploy and update. A Web portal built with ASP.NET Web Forms gives authorized customers access to the same records as customer support sees internally. The new architecture can support 500 users on a single dual-CPU server, and offers many ways to scale up and out.
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SKF (AB Svenska Kullagerfabriken) was founded in 1907, with headquarters and a laboratory in Gothenburg, Sweden, and an R&D center in the Netherlands. SKF is the leading global supplier in its field, offering products, customer solutions, and services for rolling bearings, seals and specialty steel, claiming 20% of the world market share. SKF has 80 manufacturing sites employing about 40,000, and an additional 20,000 distributors in 130 countries worldwide. Revenue in 2001 reached 24.6 billion U.S. dollars, and for the first 9 months of 2002, SKF Group’s revenue showed 25.3 billion, grossing 2.04 billion.
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Following the general tendency in the metallurgy industry -knowing very well your product costs - Ductil Steel "alloyed" with Epicor iScala 2.2, the enterprise
resource planning (ERP) system provided by Epicor Scala in Romania, in order to maintain its leading position in manufacturing wires and wire products," said Gellu Brotan, CIO of Ductil Steel Romania.
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"By itself, the Clientele support component was great; it had consistently done exactly what we wanted it to do over a significant period of time," says Hooper. "In choosing the new solution, we knew we needed to integrate it with our support group. Our support group was using a well-tested product that was essentially problem-free. We didn’t have to call Epicor’s support team frequently to help us fix issues, it ran well and we had a lot of confidence in the product."
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Customer service is more than a department; it's an essential strategy for growing a business. No one knows that better than TruServ Corporation, an organization formed in 1997 by the merger of Cotter & Company and ServiStar Coast to Coast. Today, the $2.2 billion Chicago-based cooperative supports over 6,400 independent retailers worldwide working under identities like True Value, Taylor Rental Center and Home & Garden Showplace.
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The company had been using a homegrown software system that was limited in functionality and flexibility and hindered productivity for users company-wide. Joyce McNemar, chief technology officer for MEDEX, formed a multi-departmental task force that, after eight months of detailed evaluation, chose Epicor’s Clientele CRM.NET software over two other vendors. "Clientele offers MEDEX a very competitively-priced system that can be customized to our unique business requirements," said McNemar.
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Productization of services is accomplished by associating tangible features with intangible service offerings. Tangible features may take the form of personnel, collateral, methodologies, pricing, facilities, or other attributes. Automation tools like enterprise service automation, database, and project management tools serve as enablers to service productization. By associating tangible features with intangible services, the professional services firm can build client confidence.
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To survive in today economy, every enterprise must put the reins on spending across every location and category. Rogue spending infiltrates even the most disciplined distributors, and is even more apparent in organizations with remote locations and employees. Vendor lists grow like weeds. There is confusion over who manages what service area, and manual approval procedures for requisitions and invoices are cumbersome. The ability for an enterprise to effectively source, procure, and manage its spend must keep pace with the demand for promptness and compliance in supplier relationship management (SRM).
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Successful implementation of an extended ERP system is the result of knowledgeable and dedicated people working together. It entails company-wide commitment, openness to change, good planning and experienced guidance. Three primary criteria determine the probability of recognizing significant return on investment (ROI) from an ERP system. Using these criteria as guidelines during the system selection process and subsequent implementation can ensure that the chosen system will support and enable the business improvements envisioned. That’s ROI.
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E-mail marketing is experiencing dramatic growth as marketers in virtually every industry begin to take advantage of this power technique that helps to increase revenues and reduce sales costs. Learn how to take full advantage of this high-response, low cost marketing technique by learning the characteristics of this unique medium through proper management to generate metrics and facilitate future successes.
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In this document, we will explore the power of online self-service and how it contributes to healthy customer relationships and delivers viable cost savings. We will also address how technology from Epicor Software Corporation, a leader in the CRM space, can help deliver successful self-service.
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When a company is selecting any piece of enterprise software, there is invariably someone assigned to "look under the hood" and evaluate the application's architecture. While this is a critical step, many organizations do not have a clear understanding of how their short and long term application needs can be directly impacted by an underlying architecture. This white paper serves as the foundation for understanding how Clientele's next generation application architecture shatters traditional enterprise software boundaries.
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An enterprise resource planning (ERP) system is your information backbone, reaching into all areas of your business and value chain. That’s why replacing it can open unlimited business opportunities. The cornerstone of this effort is finding the right partner. And since your long-term business strategy will shape your selection, it’s critical that your ERP provider be part of your vision.
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Enterprise performance management (EPM) is the validation of perceptions. It is the ability to analyze business conditions and provide visibility into day-to-day operations to enable more effective and timely decision-making. Learn how to link strategy and execution to encourage the continuous improvement with your enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
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Whatever the reasons for pursuing a lead-time reduction strategy, time compression across all company processes is critical to growth, and in some cases means survival for today's manufacturers. Learn about the complementary nature of enterprise resource planning (ERP), value chain exceleration, and quick response manufacturing (QRM).
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Successful implementation of an extended enterprise resource planning system (ERP) is the result of knowledgeable and dedicated people working together. It entails company-wide commitment, openness to change, good planning, and experienced guidance. Learn about the three primary criteria of recognizing return on investment (ROI) from an ERP system and how using them during the system selection process and subsequent implementation can ensure that the chosen system will support and enable the business improvements envisioned.
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Midmarket service organizations face challenges in administration, project management, and business management. Learn how Australia's NATA reduced expenditures and increased return on investment (ROI) and how FMC improved customer visibility with Epicor's integrated solutions and enterprise systems architecture (ESA).
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So-called best-of-breed software solutions may not always actually be the best. Sometimes less heralded niche products more closely aligned with a company's requirements make a better choice. Learn how Tinnerman Palnut Engineered Products, LLC used a feature-rich, enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to get a highly efficient system for its over 15,000 products.
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Learn how SunGard Treasury Systems, a provider of Internet-based treasury management solutions to global corporate, government, and financial services organizations, consolidated its disparate databases into one centralized database for company and customer information.
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Learn how Boeing Autometric, a software and technical solutions provider for modeling, visualization, simulation, and analysis to customers in the defense, telecommunications, and commercial mapping industries, implemented a solution to manage customer communication and information.
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Learn how Viewpoint Construction Software used Clientele to combine its different databases into one common customer database that is customized to fit the unique needs of the company.
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Learn how InVision Technologies Inc., a leading provider of explosives detection systems (EDS) for airports, implemented a flexible support system that gives real-time visibility into customer issues.
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Learn how Mid-West Spring Mfg. Co., a spring manufacturing and stamping wire forming company, improved inventory accuracy by nearly 100 percent, streamlined operations, enhanced customer service, and improved intelligent analysis.
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Learn how Eastern Plastics, a small precision plastic machining, design, and assembly company, implemented an integrated solution and document management system to aid in its growing, international business.
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Learn how Harvey Vogel Manufacturing Co., a metal stamping and value-added assembly company, improved job costing and reporting.
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Learn how three small and medium businesses (SMB), ITW Wilsonart Canada, Neutronics, and Polk Audio, respectively employed an enterprise system to improve operation, visibility, and performance.
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Learn how Manitowoc Beverage Equipment, a leading designer and manufacturer of ice and beverage systems equipment, streamlined its new product introduction and engineering change order processing.
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Learn how Oetiker Inc, the foremost manufacturer and distributor of quality clamps, rings, and couplings improved customer satisfaction, shipping accuracy, and on-time delivery.
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Learn how AVCOM Technologies, a provider of comprehensive information technology (IT) products and suites to high-growth middle market companies, integrated its business processes with Microsoft .NET Framework and "e by Epicor" suite.
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