Product category:
Manufacturing Information Technology systems
News Release from: Exel Computer Systems | Subject: EFACS manufacturing IT system
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 15 June 2005
Individualised IT system suits
manufacturing
Seeking to modernise its IT systems, an agricultural machinery maker found a system designed primarily for manufacturing that also offers a bespoke service for individual specifications.
"Exel Computer Systems appears to be a company which prides itself on service" "We felt that as a small company, we would be afforded as much attention as a large one"
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 26 Nov 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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"That is very important to us".
"It is also our belief that Exel Computer Systems is at the forefront of technology and will continue to be so." Standen Engineering, based in Ely in Cambridgeshire, UK, first opened for business in 1846 as the local blacksmith's forge.
At this time and in this area, agriculture was, and to a large degree still is, the local industry, and the business would have extended far beyond the popular conception of supplying and applying shoes for local horses.
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The forge would have played a vital role in an agricultural environment, dealing as it did with the making and maintenance of a whole range of tools, most of which are now obsolete, but at the time, vital to the successful running of a farm.
The company now manufactures tools which enable one operative to do the job of many - modern leviathans, which plant and harvest potatoes, flailers, a seed bed preparer, which will allow one man to bury stones, break up and grade the soil, and press the surface of six acres of land in an hour - a far cry from the labour intensive practices of days of yore ('yore' - 100s of years ago - Ed).
These large machines are manufactured predominantly on a make-to-order basis, but the company also manufacturers for stock.
After years of expansion and adaptation, Standen Engineering eventually embraced computer technology in the early 1980s.
It installed a DOS based system covering sales order processing, accounts and purchasing - perfectly adequate at the time.
However, technology never stands still, and in its later years, the system became increasingly expensive to run particularly in terms of hardware support, that, combined with its limited storage and reporting facilities (in certain applications it was only able to store one month's worth of transactions), made it clear that the system must be updated.
However, in 1987, the company underwent a management buyout, which resulted in a capital freeze.
Different priorities came to the fore, and after the purchase was completed in 1993, any spare expenditure went into improving the manufacturing equipment and machinery.
For the time being, the computer system took the back seat.
It was not until 1996 that finance became available to develop the IT side of the company, so with the year 2000 looming ever nearer, and with an outdated system which was not 2000 compliant, the company began its research in the hopes of beating the Millennium 'rush'.
There is no designated IT department within Standen Engineering, so it fell to Owen Blake, the Finance Director, and Richard Holmes, the Chief Designer, to source and implement a new system which did not require the backing of a huge department to achieve smooth running.
First thoughts were merely to find modern equivalents in the areas of distribution and finance with an add-on manufacturing package.
It soon became evident that they should be looking at it the other way round, after all they are manufacturers first and foremost.
They wanted something which would evolve with the company, as they felt that the restrictions of the old package had caused them to lose some of the industry's 'best practices'.
The team produced a statement of system requirements, from which five key objectives came to the fore.
They looked at a number of packages, including Navision, Tetra, Sage and Exel Computer Systems.
The easy option for upgrading would have been to go for Navision, being sold through their existing reputable supplier.
But there were several issues which brought the EFACS system from Exel Computer Systems to the attention of Blake and his colleague.
The clearly laid out brochure made a favourable impression and led to a meeting with representatives from Exel Computer systems.
They in turn showed a deep understanding of their product and could answer questions on specific functionality with a clarity that is a credit to their knowledge and whilst showing empathy with a novice user.
In the words of Blake, "Exel Computer Systems appears to be a company which prides itself on service".
"We felt that as a small company, we would be afforded as much attention as a large one".
"That is very important to us".
"It is also our belief that Exel Computer Systems are at the forefront of technology and will continue to be so." The research team found that not only is EFACS designed primarily for the user in the manufacturing industry, but also offers a bespoke service for individual specifications.
It includes a Shop Floor Documentation package, and Exel Computer Systems pricing policy meant that all the modules could be purchased at once - a situation which proved very attractive.
So often, it is found that options offered are available only at a price.
Before making the final decision, Blake 'surfed the net', and obtained impartial opinions from other EFACS users.
He discovered that one company had employed IT consultants to source their system, which substantially increased confidence in their consideration of EFACS.
In addition, there was a site visit to another user and to Exel Computer Systems in Nottingham.
Finally, a visit to the CIM exhibition by all of the prospective system users confirmed their decision.
So, with an available budget of GBP 80,000 to cover the entire implementation, including Cat 5 cabling over 80,000ft2 of factory on a three and a half acre site, all of the main EFACS modules were purchased.
The functional aspects of EFACS were the initial priority, and Standen went live with the Shop Floor Documentation programme - a key requirement.
The remaining modules were all up and running by soon after.
This was no mean feat, as the staff had to undergo a period of relearning in order to make full use of the system.
Having said that, the staff found the system easy to use.
All the screens are a variation on a theme, so once you master one, you have mastered all, and the system evolved at the learning speed of the users.
One of Standen's fundamental requirements of the system was that it could be bespoked.
The company has over 36,000 component part numbers, and its stock file, not surprisingly in view of the age of the old system, had become inaccurate.
Blake explains this requirement by using an analogy with a pen.
Most manufacturing systems appear to need a breakdown of integral parts - outer casing, ink refill, top, nib - and work on an 'assembly system' with a works order for each part.
Standen needed a system which would recognise the 'pen' as a single unit, regardless of the amount of components that are used in its production.
EFACS was adapted to meet this requirement.
Despite consuming a large part of the implementation budget, they knew that the company must go down this route.
Implementation of the system took almost 12 months to complete, as the company had to transfer the 36,000 different part numbers as part of that process.
Everything was entered afresh to dispel any bad housekeeping habits which had developed over the 16 years of technical stagnation.
However, as well as financial benefits of the EFACS system, which is considerably less expensive to run than the old system, the improvements in efficiency can be seen throughout the operation.
Shop floor documentation is now instantly available; the movement of components can be easily traced; whereas stocktaking previously took 12 weeks, it can now be completed in 12 days; general administration is streamlined, and the stationery costs slashed; archives can be held for a longer period; changes can be made without complication; and by no means the least of the benefits is that all the staff now sing from the same song-sheet, despite a wide spectrum of IT experience.
So pleased is the management team with EFACS, that it is looking to address other areas in the near future.
In its sights are shop floor data capture, bar coding, archiving and even more accurate costing.
It is always a huge undertaking for staff and management alike, to renew a computer system completely, and it is thanks to the efficiency of EFACS, the staff of Exel Computer Systems and the adaptability of the users at Standen, that this process has been achieved so smoothly.
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