ERP Extensions

ERP Software Selection Resource

1/22/2010 by Jack Burnett

At TwinEngines, I help companies participating in the manufacturing value chain solve issues with manufacturing technology based solutions. For small and mid-market manufacturers, the ERP system may be the most costly technology investment in the company.  If your company uses 75% of the functionality of an ERP system, then I consider that a success.  As far as the remaining 25% to manage your unique processes, custom ERP extensions built on a flexible framework that integrates to ERP are often times the most efficient and effective answer.  Those ERP extensions are one of the solutions TwinEngines has been delivering the past 15 years.

Our industry experience enables us to integrate many of the leading ERP/MRP/Financial systems for small, mid market organizations.  Products like Microsoft Dynamics, Macola, Infor Visual, SyteLine, SysPro, Ross Systems, Epicor Vantage, Glovia, BAAN, Sage's MAS products, Intuit's QuickBooks, and more. 

One of the key value propositions at TwinEngines is our ability to help companies determine if they need an ERP system or if they should leverage custom and best of breed applications. If ERP is the answer we bring in our partners and other organizations to help.

Top10ERP.org is a great resource for manfuacturers to get an unbiased picture of the ERP landscape for manufacturing.  While we work primarily with discrete manufacturers, Top10ERP.org categorizes ERP systems for most modes of manufacturing including: process, mixed-mode, engineer-to-order, make-to-order, light assembly, shop floor/job shop and distribution.  It also sorts by industry and has whitepapers and case studies to help you understand ERP.

A resource like Top10ERP.org coupled with TwinEngines' strategic manufacturing technology consulting leads to manufacturing technology solutions that are the right fit and the best value for your company.

Extending ERP to Your Value Chains

8/13/2009 by Jack Burnett

When extending ERP systems, at TwinEngines we believe the Right Fit at the Best Value is the critical evaluation.

We focus on what is important when integrating business systems, and that is: What are you trying to accomplish.  We have helped companies with the following ERP Extensions and integrations to synchronize information flow in manufacturing value chains: 

• Create BOMs from AutoCAD drawings
• Pulling a Job's AutoCAD drawings for the production team
• Integrate customer and dealer master information so portal users can login and see their account status information.
• Parse Work Orders to provide production scheduling and dynamics routing for the shop-floor and customer service
• Allocate jobs to work teams and resources, handling rush orders
• Track crate contents, matching shipping lists to engineering ship lists
• Push labor and material information for product costing
• Collect information requests and registrations on corporate websites and insert into CRM for lead tracking
• Push web orders into financial systems from eCommerce websites seamlessly
• Provide credit hold information from a financial system to validate a website ecommerce purchase
• Send eCommerce orders to shipping systems for cost-effective fulfillment
• Match customs inspection reports to items, orders, shipments and customers in SharePoint for easy access and tracking
• Track and manage sales commissions

Aberdeens' ERP in Manufacturing Benchmark Report summarizes the three most important factors to consider when comparing ERP systems vs. pure play solutions:

1. functionality
2. integration
3. ability to upgrade. 

We all know that matching up the features and functions to the business processes is a necessary step.  However, the report found, that on average, companies use only 43% of the available functionality in their ERP system.  That tells me that when considering an ERP system, there is a fourth dimension - The Right Fit.

After settling in with an ERP system or 'Best of Breed' solution, often times small and mid-market companies begin considering extending ERP functionality to their supply chains and value chains.  The report states two important factors for ERP extensions:

1. Complexity of integration
2. Implications on system upgrades

When extending ERP, what the report does not mention is a third equally important factor: that is COST.

When extending ERP systems, at TwinEngines we believe the Right Fit at the Best Value is a critical evaluation. For 14 years we have been working with small and mid-market manufacturers and distributors to increase competitiveness and profits with focused solutions automating their unique business processes. 

When we extend the ERP, MRP or financial system, we implement a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) technology - an enterprise foundation allowing the synchronization of information throughout the business and with vendors, partners and customers.  We utilize the latest technology to simply connect to ERP system databases, minimizing the impact of ERP upgrades and even a move to an entirely new ERP system.

TwinEngines' key differentiator and value proposition is the focus and passion we have for delivering value to our customers. We start with a strategy to create the roadmap to implement the right size ERP extensions that can scale with our customers success and growth. We implement functionality that is focused on solving the unique business processes at a company.

Contact us for a demonstration or consulation on tackling your unique business operations and processes by extending your ERP, MRP or financial systems to the shop-floor, to your supply chains and your value chains.  We love to walk your plant floor or tour your website, discussing opportunities to increase sales and competitiveness.

Most Manufacturers Customize ERP Systems

6/24/2009 by Jack Burnett

When it comes to working with ERP systems, our 14 years of experience with small and mid-market manufacturers includes systems from many Tier II and smaller ERP vendors, like Epicor, Infor, QAD, Microsoft, Sage, Macola to name a few. Our focus is providing custom ERP extensions to these systems to meet unique business needs.  Often times our custom solution, built on an enterprise technology platform, makes the most economical sense for small and mid-market manufacturers. 

A recent study by the Panorama Consulting Group, another independent firm in the ERP space like TwinEngines, found that SAP is the leading supplier of ERP software, followed by Oracle.  However, the study also shows that the Tier II ERP vendors can also meet the complex requirements found at manufacturing and distribution companies.

The study was based on online polling data and focus group interviews involving 670 individuals from manufacturing and distribution companies that have implemented ERP within the past three years. 

It is interesting that the study showed that only 18% of manufacturers and distributors implement ERP using a 'plain vanilla approach':

• That is, 82% of the time a manufacturer or distributor had to pay for additional customizations as part of the ERP implementation. 
• 47% had some customization involved and 35% had 'heavy' customization during implementation. 
• Customizations for manufacturers and distributors is higher than other industries due to the higher degree of specialization and complexity found in many manufacturing operations.

It is important that you understand your own requirements for selecting an ERP system. Focus on the business process and the business needs, not just the look and feel of the ERP software. Chances are that the ERP system you select is not going to solve 100% of your requirements and needs.  So when you look at the required customizations, consider whether a low-cost, custom ERP extension is the better, quicker alternative.  One that is focused on the specific business issue.

An implementation plan following these major phases has yielded the most effective use of ERP software based upon our experience with small and mid-market manufacturers and distributors:

1. Document requirements, processes and business needs
2. Select the ERP system and identify areas requiring customization
3. Implement the ERP system without major custom work
4. Follow a phased approach to add ERP extensions to meet your unique requirements, processes and needs.

When the ERP extensions reside in an enterprise platform that integrates to not only the ERP system, but to other front-office and shop-floor systems, information is visible and synchronized for the entire company.   This increases efficiencies and leads to a competitive advantage.