Radpol Group Selects IFS For Manufacturing Operations

Radpol Group, a Polish manufacturer and supplier to the heating and energy sector, has chosen IFS Applications 8 to support its business-critical processes. The IFS system will be implemented in four manufacturing facilities owned by Radpol. Listed on the Warsaw stock exchange, Radpol manufactures heat transfer systems, products for the energy market, plastic water supply and sewage pipes, and gas pipe systems and employs 2,600 people. The group operates five manufacturing sites in Poland and its products are also exported to a number of European countries including Italy, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Lithuania, Estonia, Czech Republic, and Russia.

Following an extensive evaluation involving several ERP system products, the company chose IFS Applications as the solution best design to enhance Radpol's operational efficiency. IFS's experience in working with companies in the energy and manufacturing sectors was a key factor in its selection.

The IFS implementation will cover all key areas, including manufacturing, distribution, HR and payroll, maintenance, financials and accounting, as well as business analytics. Through better production workflow planning and stock accuracy optimization, Radpol expects to reduce their working capital with manufacturing and supply chain areas bringing in significant savings.

It is expected that total savings resulting from the implementation will allow Radpol to raise their EBITDA margin by at least 145,000 euros per year and reduce working capital by approximately 240,000 euros.

To read more about this IFS implementation and others, visit the IFS News blog.

The 2013 Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. The 2014 edition will be available in May, 2014. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information.

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2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

 

E-commerce for Manufacturers and Distributors

Ecommerce has been a boon to retailers, enabling them to enter new geographical markets, attract customers who prefer to buy online or at off hours, and compete successfully with much larger retail chains. Now manufacturers are finding they can reap the same benefits by selling online, not only to their distributors and business partners, but even directly to consumers.

But selling online requires planning. Manufacturers and wholesalers must consider how ecommerce will affect their retail partners, most of whom probably also sell online, and create a cooperative strategy that benefits both the manufacturer and retail partners. Below are some guidelines for manufacturers and distributors moving or engaging in B2B ecommerce:

1.Create an omnichannel customer experience. Both B2C and B2B shoppers want to access the same products and features, payment options, and customer services regardless of the channel they are using.

2.Integrate systems. For ecommerce to work, data must be able to flow between the ecommerce, CRM, inventory, shipping and financial systems. Customers need accurate, real-time information on things like product availability, sales prices, and shipping status.

3.Prevent potential channel conflict. Manufacturers often fear they’ll alienate their channel partners by undertaking B2C ecommerce. However, there are ways to prevent that. Creating joint marketing and sales promotions, tying partner trade funds to the manufacturer’s or wholesaler’s overall sales, and not selling under retail prices will help to avoid channel conflict as well as boost overall sales.

4.Leverage sales data. Analysis of sales data can not only give the manufacturer or distributor better understanding of sales trends and buyer preferences, but can also be helpful in showing channel partners how your ecommerce effort is affecting them. In many cases, the data will show improved sales for everyone.

5.Map out a multi-year plan. Research your sales and support channels and develop a three- to five-year roadmap for incorporating ecommerce into your other channels. Identify potential pilot programs to roll out to test the ecommerce waters.

To learn more, visit the NetSuite Blog to access a recent webinar on e-commerce for distributors and manufacturers and learn more about their products for large and mid-sized businesses.

The 2013 Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. The 2014 edition will be available in April, 2014. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

 

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Cloud Computing: Managing Security and Data Privacy with Acumatica

As a provider of Cloud ERP (enterprise resource planning), Acumatica is acutely aware of the concerns customers have when it comes to utilizing an external provider for hosting and data storage.

Because Acumatica was built from the ground up to exist in a hosted environment in the cloud, the solution was developed with security in mind. Any browser-based application must utilize strong data encryption techniques to ensure the safety of all data between the client browser and the server-based data store. Ensuring that at least 2048-bit SSL encryption is used in any session based browser application is key. But there are more issues to consider when thinking about data security and data privacy, many of which simply come down to best practices in data handling.

The weakest link in any information exchange involving human interaction is the people. Many of the most common breaches of data privacy and security come down to insufficient understanding of the topic by the people handling that data. Information systems security and techniques such as encryption can partially be mitigate this factor, but every organization has a responsibility to train its people on the effective handling of private and sensitive data.

To learn more about Acumatica's Cloud ERP solutions and best practices for training and development of staff in the areas of security and privacy, visit the Acumatica News Blog.


The 2013 Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. The 2014 edition will be available in April, 2014. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

 

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Effective Approaches To Replenishment for Warehouse Inventory Management

Most companies consider warehouse inventory as a necessary evil – an expense that they’d rather not have to pay but a requirement for delivering the necessary service level to customers.

The challenge for supply chain management is to have the optimum amount of inventory (just enough to provide the desired service level) in each warehouse by managing replenishment.

Typically, there are three approaches to replenishment – push, pull, and distribution requirements planning (DRP).

In the push approach, central supply (the plant) manages replenishment. Push has good visibility but the plant is furthest removed from the source of demand (customers) so will likely fall short on customer service at the lowest levels of the chain. In a pull system, replenishment is triggered by orders from the bottom of the chain ‘pulling’ inventory from the next tier, which in turn orders from its supplying warehouse, on up to the plant. DRP is a time-phased, forecast-based replenishment approach very similar to MRP, with the distribution network structure providing the connections rather than the bill-of-material.

While all of these approaches are viable, each has its strengths and challenges. To learn more about each one, and solutions for effective management, visit the Advanced Supply Chain news blog.

The 2013 Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. The 2014 edition will be available in April, 2014. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

 

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Epicor SaaS ERP Streamlines Operations for Chirch Global

Illinois-based Chirch Global Manufacturing, a Chicago-area manufacturer of metal stampings and sheet metal fabrications recently chose Epicor Software Corporation as its enterprise resource planning (ERP) software provider. Epicor's robust cloud-based service was an ideal match for Chirch Globals strategic goals: fulfilling customer needs in the best way possible.

In addition, using the Epicor ERP solution has improved communications across the Chirch Global enterprise, enabling better, faster reactions to market demand changes and customer needs. The partnership with Epicor reflects Chirch Global’s continual commitment to innovation, to staying abreast of technological advancements, and to serve as an all-encompassing resource for the manufacturing community. With the inception of the Chirch Global Manufacturing Network that currently consists of 15 best-in-class businesses, the company is now poised to become the single-source provider for nearly any type of manufacturing need in the year ahead.

For more information about the Chirch Global-Epicor ERP implementation, and to watch video interviews with key decision-makers, visit the Epicor Inspired Insights blog.

The 2013 Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. The 2014 edition will be available in April, 2014. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

 

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Wrights Group Selects IFS Applications for Global Operations

IFS, an global enterprise applications company, recently announced that Wrights Group, one of Europe’s leading suppliers of public transport vehicles, selected IFS Applications to assist in optimizing its global operations. Currently, more than 2,100 companies in over 60 countries rely on IFS Applications, a component-based suite for product and asset lifecycle management that can be configured for ERP, EAM, project-based ERP, field service management, or a combination of all four.

Headquartered in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, Wrights Group has established itself as Europe’s leading independent bus designer and manufacturer. Founded in 1946, Wrights Group pioneered low floor buses in the UK, and has earned a reputation for producing vehicles which are stylish, durable, high in quality and utilizing innovative features. Most recently, it secured the contract to manufacture the New Routemaster bus for the city of London.

To enable its plans for expansion in Europe, Asia and the Americas, the Wrights needed to deploy a business system that was easy to configure, maintain, and scale. IFS Applications was selected because it offered the company the best blend of multi-site, global capabilities coupled with robust features for product configuration, project management, and supply chain. Another critical selection factor was the ease with which Wrights can configure the IFS system to meet business needs while maintaining a standard upgrade path for future releases.

To read more about the implementation, visit the IFS News blog.

The 2013 Brown Smith Wallace Distribution and Manufacturing Software Guides are currently available for download. The 2014 edition will be available in April, 2014. Please contact snelson@bswllc.com for more information.

2013 Distribution Software

2013 Manufacturing Software

You can also request these guides, as well as all other materials, via our website: http://www.software4distributors.com/vendor/resources_index.aspx

 

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Infor 10.0 Incorporates Social Capabilities To Core ERP

Infor announced Infor Distribution SX.e version 10.0, enabling social, mobile and analytics capabilities to the core enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. The latest version builds upon the Infor 10x strategy to incorporate broader support for Infor ION, the purpose-built middleware and Infor Ming.le™, a comprehensive social collaboration platform. The release provides deep distribution functionality and substantial enhancements to user experience, business intelligence enablement, and connectivity to best in class solutions, says the company. New features, according to the company:

• Simple yet Powerful User Experience - Infor SX.e v10.0 features a consumer grade user experience. The Global Search capability has a familiar feel that allows the user to search the entire application to enable employees to work faster and smarter. Super grid technology offers an easier way to view results by allowing changes on the fly such as dynamic grouping, exporting, applying filters, drill down visibility and creating favorite views.
• Deep Distribution Functionality - Distributors typically operate on very tight margins. Infor SX.e v10.0 includes many enhancements to help distributors make better, faster decisions that can improve their profitability.  Some of these enhancements include automating freight allocation to enable freight cost recovery, better tracking and managing of non-returnable, non-cancellable items and tools to compare estimated versus actual labor costs for value-added services.
• Investment in Analytics - Infor SX.e v10.0 enables extensive transactional data to be written into the ION Business Vault, providing users with a single, optimized repository. This benefits users by allowing them to more easily mine data for flexible, powerful reporting, business intelligence and analytics. 
• Best in Class Integrations - The Infor SX.e v10.0 release provides a certified integration through ION to Lawson Financials, a robust and powerful application that helps manage complex financial requirements. This solution joins a growing list of ION certified integrations including Infor Supply Chain Execution (SCE), Inforce, Infor CRM Business, Storeroom, and Infor Road Warrior.  
• Broad Social Experience - Social business involves more than just connecting people. With the addition of Infor Ming.le, the solution is now able to unite transactions, products and other entities within one easy to use social network that captures and retains the information shared across the enterprise. This places a network of people, applications, workflows, alerts and data at the hands of Infor SX.e v10.0 users.  

For more information, please visit www.infor.com.