group CEO OVERVIEW
group implemented cloud-based Acumatica, enhancing inventory management, connecting disparate data silos, gaining insight to make much better decisions.
ESSENTIAL RESULTS
Improved service processes company-wide, simplifying operationsAcquired precise real-time info, decreasing errors & & improving customer experienceEliminated handbook, paper-based workflow, conserving time and moneyIncreased production without adding personnel, investing for the futureAccelerated stock turns, better using stock on hand, driving efficiencyReal-time reporting through using control panels
CHALLENGES
The 29-year old company makes aftermarket items used to repair or refurbish trucks and vehicles, such as a new ceiling headliner. AFF grew gradually in sales under its retiring founder, who did an excellent task of developing the company mostly on difficult work and instinct. New management, led by Ben Leinster, CEO, and Mark Smith, CFO, saw incredible potential in the recognized business.
The business needed to discover a much better monetary system.The business used an obsoleted variation of Sage for accounting, consumer order, service and billing entry. “There was no inventory module, no production MRP or production of tasks in the system,” Smith says. “All products were expensed at the time of purchase. Inventory was approximated at year end, and the company utilized spreadsheets to attempt to keep an eye on high-turnover items.”
As a result, all financials were incorrect, inventory control was non-existent, and production was a build-to-order system where someone ferreted out products to get a product made and after that it shipped the door.
” There was a dreadful great deal of what I call scrambling,” Smith states. “Just grabbing things off the shelf and keep going.”
Among the very first tasks was to learn what AFF
Among the early decisions was to move AFF
SOLUTION
Smith led the group that searched for a monetary platform for growth, comparing 4 or five ERP systems. “We desired something in the cloud and understood it would cost too much to get Sage to the point where it needed to be,” he states. “There was no point on staying on an old archaic system.”
He narrowed his list to Acumatica and Oracle NetSuite, selecting Acumatica since of its rates structure and movement functions, which allows the sales group to see inventory at a customer site from their smartphones. He likewise liked Acumaticas open API, a versatile cloud platform.
And “because I felt we would get better attention from Acumatica and I had a lot of self-confidence in (Acumatica implementation partner) Blytheco, which recommended Acumatica,” states Smith, adding that Blytheco was already the companys veteran technology partner.
New Management, New Processes, New System
New management chose to carry out Acumatica as quick as possible to get everybody relocating the exact same instructions. They understand it was a difficult request the workers to handle a new management group, a major relocation, brand-new methods of doing things, and a new innovation system all at the same time.
While Acumatica itself did not need an additional investment in innovation, AFF|group invested in more than 20 wireless access points for the storage facility for barcode scanners, a required financial investment, Smith says.
” We had been running the organization for 6 months when we decidedto move to Acumatica, and then we went live relatively quickly,” Smith states. “We decided to go to game speed rather than postpone the Go Live as the team changed to the new innovation. When we turned everything on and we ground to a halt.”
When just one of the 45 workers had actually utilized one before, Management knew they were asking staff members to consume from a fire tube by asking everybody to use a bar code system. “It was extremely difficult,” Smith says.
However it was a risk they were prepared to take, and a financial investment the business had to make in the group, knowing how much simpler it would be for the company to double production while making jobs and procedures easier. “Its hard to actually get people to change what they are doing,” Smith states. “We had to alter every process in the structure.”
Workers discovered how to close out a task prior to it went to the storage facility, and that they could not just throw something on a truck without accounting for it. “Its uncomfortable to change when youve been doing things the same way for a long time,” Leinster says.
BENEFITS
Access to Information Allows AFF to Double
With Acumatica, everyone at AFF|group has access to accurate details, which is assisting them make notified decisions and be more effective. The business also gained a platform for growth.
We had reams of paper and people processing paper,” Anita Easler, Customer Fulfillment Manager says. Now that we are in the cloud, we can use a phone or iPad to gain access to details.”
Furthermore, carrying out MRP or Material Requirements Planning “has actually been a video game changer,” states Cory Childers, Production Manager. Now the computer system tells us what to make and when to make it.”
When AFF|group catches an error, it isnt because they just missed it or since someone lost a paper. They can discover whatever details they need in Acumatica.
Production, Deliveries More Efficient
group is presently implementing. The other manufacturing location has gone from being late with whatever to being on time with nearly all orders, which indicates trucks are going out on time.
” People formerly had to wait to get product and wait to pack trucks,” Smith says. Everything is made to stock and whatever is all set.
” For us, the power of the Acumatica system is in the WMS and store flooring information collection, the stock management, and the capability to deliver to a client and to get things right,” Leinster includes.
” Right now, we are pulling everything and after that staging it before putting it on a truck.” He admitted that “We still sometimes miss something.” This didnt daunt the team, but rather motivated them to continue to improve. “We wish to get to a point where were scanning everything that enters into a truck, and scanning whatever that comes off a truck,” Smith says. “So, when a consumer states, something is missing out on, we can quickly diagnose what took place.”
The teams objective is to more than triple the number of day-to-day outbound trucks than happened prior to Acumatica. With Acumatica, they will quickly be able to do that.
The sales team has real-time access to stock levels and ship times while out on the roadway, something they never had. “Before they would have to call and someone would need to run to the storage facility and take a look at stock,” Leinster says. The salesmen can likewise see what stock may be scheduled for a different consumer, lowering double booking inventory and consumer disappointment, mistakes they encountered formerly.
” Acumatica being cloud-based was a substantial selling point; now we can look at the information in real-time on our phones,” he says.
Leveraging Information for Rapid Growth
AFF
Halfway in, individuals questioned why we made the choice, but now everybody would concur we had to do this,” Smith states. “This was something that was required, and we feel much better. We still have a lot to learn however no one can think of going back to the old way.”
” With this system we can double the size of business without doubling the area and individuals due to the fact that we have power in the info,” Leinster adds. “We can work more realistically and save millions in labor by not having to double the staff size.”
For us, the power of the Acumatica system is in the WMS and store flooring data collection, the inventory management, the ability to deliver to a client, and to get things right.– Mark Smith, AFF|group CFO
With Acumatica, we can double the size of the organization without doubling the space and the individuals due to the fact that we have power in the info. AFF grew steadily in sales under its retiring founder, who did a fantastic task of building the business primarily on tough work and intuition.” We had actually been running the business for 6 months when we decidedto relocation to Acumatica, and then we went live relatively rapidly,” Smith says. They can find whatever info they require in Acumatica.
For us, the power of the Acumatica system is in the WMS and shop floor data collection, the stock management, the capability to deliver to a customer, and to get things.
