Product category:
ERP and MRP systems and software
News Release from: Bowen & Groves | Subject: M1 ERP software at Robinson Fin Machines
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 16 April 2008
SME's ERP integrates business management
ERP software designed for SMEs provides a heat exchanger fin manufacturer with total integration and automation from quoting through invoicing, reported Bowen and Groves.
Family-owned Robinson Fin Machines, in Kenton, Ohio, USA, produces heat exchanger fins to fit a variety of products: from the International Space Station to fighter jets and Pizza Hut ovens A fin is folded metal, ranging in thickness from a few thousandths of an inch to thicker than 4mm
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 14 Apr 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
ERP supports doubled toy making production
USA toymaker, after acquiring a second toymaker, sought an ERP system that could manage batch manufacturing one product at a time, as well as handle shipping from stock like a distributor.
ERP software unifies activities
In recent years, Southern California has experienced one of the biggest housing booms in the nation.
Robinson Fin Machines employs 48 people and serves clients worldwide from its 40,000ft2 facility.
Since 1983, the company has built a reputation for quality, ISO 9001-compliant fins, short lead times and competitive pricing.
* Coping with growing demand - as demand for Robinson Fin's fins grew, the company had to streamline its internal processes to maintain efficiency, lead times and its strong customer service.
Further reading
Integrated ERP automates quoting to invoicing
Automation with integrated ERP software provides total integration and automation from quoting through invoicing - for manufacturing environments - and offers ease of use and customization.
Electronic data recording - explaining benefits
Developments in electronic data recording technology are opening up new possibilities for the collection, storage and retrieval of process data, in a host of new applications.
Testing electronic braking assist equipment
GM Delphi uses VisSim to reduce brake control system prototyping time from 2 months to 2 days.
The company had tried a few business management applications over the years, but having separate systems detracted from the team's productivity.
Bowen and Groves told manufacturingtalk that Robinson Fin's basic, DOS-based accounting program only handled accounting-related issues.
A more comprehensive ERP system lacked all the functionality and flexibility Robinson Fin needed.
IT manager at Robinson Fin, Shannon Barnes, related: "We couldn't tie purchase orders to receiving, receiving to payables, payables to the general ledger, and the general ledger to payroll, making everything more time-consuming.
We needed something more streamlined so we could do everything in one place".
* Flexible, 'end-to-end' ERP - Barnes said that it was in 1999, that she had come across the M1 ERP software for small to medium-sized manufacturers by Bowen and Groves (B and G).
M1 offered a 'one-stop solution' with total integration and automation from quoting through invoicing.
Also the M1 could be customised enough to adapt to the specific demands of Robinson Fin's production environment.
With support from M1 consultants, Robinson Fin ramped up on M1 smoothly, first migrating all data from the company's previous ERP software.
Employees across all departments quickly picked up the intuitive software, said B and G.
* production modules - Robinson Fin began with the main M1 production modules, as follows.
* Job Management.
* Contact Management.
* Order Management.
* Accounts Receivable.
* Accounts Payable.
* Shipping and Labor Management.
Over the years, Robinson Fin has expanded its use of M1 to include nearly all available modules, such as the following.
* Estimating and Quoting.
* Quality/Warranty Management.
* Scheduling.
* Purchasing.
* Payroll.
* Timecard Management.
* RMA Management.
* General Ledger.
Barnes found the software exceptionally customisable.
She said: "You wouldn't even recognise our job traveler, it's completely customised with the relevant fields, options, calculations and reports that we need.
We couldn't live without the job management module".
Beyond Job Management, the firm added multiple customizations to nearly every module.
Barnes set up an inspection sheet using Crystal Report Writer with all the operator inspections and part checks specific to Robinson Fin.
The firm relies on a number of built-in and custom reports to pull and analyse information as needed.
For example, Barnes added a box to check for all contacts that should receive a Robinson Fin holiday card, and then the staff can easily run a report with those names each year.
Robinson Fin also used the payroll module to create a report that tracks the amount of time employees work in such a manner that the firm easily meets State of Ohio reporting requirements.
* Greater accuracy, shorter lead times - M1 also fulfills its role as the one system for managing nearly every aspect of the manufacturing firm.
Beginning with a quote, job specifications and details carry all the way through from production to invoicing.
Barnes said: "Quotes look at orders, orders look at jobs, jobs look at shipments, shipments look at invoices, invoices look at payments - making it much easier to do our jobs".
With M1 as its central source of information, Robinson Fin now enters order information one time - instead of multiple times - and that information appears across all the relevant departments and phases.
That dramatically reduces the chance for errors.
B and G said that when a user is working with organisations like NASA, there is no room for product detail errors.
As the firm has reduced job specification mistakes, that has resulted in fewer reworks - improving profitability and customer service.
* Centralised information - centralising information in an automated system helps move jobs along faster.
Instead of an item sitting in one department, M1 automatically alerts the responsible individuals to ensure they process each item in a timely manner.
Faster administrative processes, in turn, reduce lead times.
Barnes estimated that M1 helped Robinson Fin complete orders about a full workday faster.
Having that information already in the system reduces the amount of time that accounting has to spend on tasks like invoicing.
Staff can simply create invoices from the information already in M1.
Going electronic helps staff find information faster, as well as reduces the firm's paper costs.
When customers call about orders, Robinson Fin staff can search M1 by name, purchase order number or any other identifying features, allowing it to respond to customers more quickly.
As Robinson Fin grows its order volume, M1 grows with it, continuously expanding and adapting to the firm's needs while keeping orders organised.
All that helps the firm drive down lead times, improve service and stay competitive.
* Quality module - Robinson Fin plans to use M1's quality module more extensively.
With that step, and any in the future, Barnes remained confident that she can tailor M1 for the firm's changing needs.
"So far, I've been able to do anything I needed to do with M1," she said.
"We've been very happy with M1".
* About Bowen and Groves - Bowen and Groves is setting the standard in Enterprise Resource Planning software (ERP), for the small to medium manufacturer.
Founded in 1992 Bowen and Groves is a privately owned software development company operating in the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
M1 by B and G sets the standard in affordability and ease of use.
• Bowen & Groves: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page
