|
Orthodontics Manufacturer Promotes Growth and Productivity with Powerful ERP System
|
American Orthodontics designs, manufactures, and distributes a large portfolio of orthodontic products. Employing its own team of automation engineers who design manufacturing machinery, American Orthodontics brings remarkable innovation to the manufacturing process and the design of its products. These products often consist of multiple components and materials, resulting in remarkable complexity in the company's processes for materials planning and sourcing.
For many years, American Orthodontics had used the same business software tools to manage its complex processes and support its high standards for customer service. Deb Schmidt, Administrative Manager at American Orthodontics, explains, "Because the finance and manufacturing systems were not integrated, information from one did not always agree with information from the other system. We could only make updates in batch files, so information was not always curre nt. Also, after every month-end close, we had current year-to-date numbers but lost the financial details of the month that had just passed."
During its search for an ERP system, American Orthodontics closely considered different products and eventually decided to implement a certain solution. However, the vendor was unable to implement the solution to fit American Orthodontics's business. After 15 months, American Orthodontics chose to start over with Microsoft Dynamics NAV, engaging with SPSI-ADNM, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, for the implementation.
Today, American Orthodontics thrives with a new ERP system that fits the company's vision and business model. Says Schmidt, "We made a radical change in how we run the business. By using Microsoft Dynamics NAV, we can continue to grow with the level of service quality we aim for and introduce new efficiencies as we move forward." Will Weyandt, IT Manager at American Orthodontics, confirms, "We're in a different world than we were before. With Microsoft Dynamics NAV, we can review all information about the business and have much better control over our direction."
With Microsoft Dynamics NAV, American Orthodontics can continue to gr ow the business without incurring proportionate increases in overhead. "With revenue growth up consistently year over year, we can rely on Microsoft Dynamics NAV to scale with the business," explains Schmidt. "Our employees can now be extremely effective, even with increased workloads. We found this out immediately after the implementation when our order volume skyrocketed and we still got products out the door very quickly." Automating discounts and streamlining pricing structures with the new ERP system have also made the business far less complex and more agile. Says Weyandt, "Without Microsoft Dynamics NAV, we would've been unable to introduce this level of automation. We managed to remove a large number of needless manual steps from our processes, which saves a huge amount of time and gives much better control in ensuring that we optimally serve our customers."
|
|
Drs. Foster & Smith thinks their shipping system is the cat's meow.
|
ProShip expedites tens of thousands of packages to waiting
pet owners.
Challenge
Drs. Foster & Smith is adored by pet lovers everywhere, who count on them for
home delivery of all things pet-related. From their headquarters in Rhinelander,
Wisconsin, the privately held catalog and internet company expedites tens
of thousands of packages to waiting pet owners a day. When that involves
items as diverse as live, exotic fish and catnip toys, keeping abreast of carrier
requirements and rates is essential, as is finding the most cost effective method
of shipping. Technical support from the shipping software then in use at Drs.
Foster & Smith, however, proceeded at a snail's pace.
Adding a shipping location at the building next door took six months. Adding
another carrier service took a year. "You can't imagine how we dreaded
upgrading anything on our shipping software," said Ron Sasek, IT manager.
"Upgrades always caused major problems and it would be work on our part to
get it functioning again."
Another pet peeve was the interface between the shipping software and the
company's warehouse management system. "We were never able to talk directly
with our software vendor about problems," Ron noted. "It was always a case of
'He said-she said.'"
Finally, the software vendor was discontinuing support for the shipping program
in use by Dr. Foster & Smith, requiring a costly migration. "It was like installing
a new system from a different company, not like installing an upgrade; all
interfaces would have had to change," Ron said.
It was time to scratch the existing shipping software and install a new system
that would provide responsive customer support, seamless integration with
the warehouse management system, Exacta by ASAP Automation, and
sophisticated rate-shopping and carrier compliance.
Solution
The impending obsolescence of the shipping software at Drs. Foster & Smith
let the cat out of the bag: their IT people had wanted to implement ProShip for
some time. They had discovered ProShip at a postal forum, viewed a demo and
were impressed. "I came away from there with a real comfortable feeling about
ProShip," Ron said. "We talked to these other shipping companies and weren't
getting out of them the same information as from ProShip. ProShip answered
our questions."
Still, the reputation of Drs. Foster & Smith was on the line. Friendly, personal
service makes the company unique and they promote the shipment of all orders
within 12 hours; a new shipping system had better be able to jump through
hoops. "We were staking a lot on it with the rate shopping module, and all the
things we were told about tech support," Ron said.
ProShip implemented a black box solution utilizing ProShip SDK. The integration
flexibility of ProShip meant that Dr. Foster & Smith was able to retain the existing
user interface. ProShip runs natively within Exacta and operates behind the
scenes, keeping the Exacta Pack program for warehouse personnel. "We didn't
have to retrain the packers, didn't have to have a whole new pack system," said
Ron. "The way they were able to fit it in helped with a smooth conversion."
Software engineers at ProShip configured the system to accommodate the broad range
of products Drs. Foster & Smith sells, and the designated shipping methods for each.
"Corals and fish are sent next-day air, larger buckets of salt and aquarium supplies go
differently," said Audrey Schmidt, warehouse manager. In addition, pet pharmaceuticals
require the recipient's signature. "ProShip took care of organizing with the different
carriers that we were set up correctly, and managing details with how invoices and
labels print out."
Dr. Foster & Smith scheduled the actual installation off-hours on a Thursday
night, and set aside a 12-hour window. Within two hours of starting and testing,
they were shipping real packages. "It was the smoothest changeover I've ever
gone through in 25 years of doing them," Ron said.
Credit the end result to months of planning that preceded the transition.
ProShip software engineers worked closely with their counterparts at ASAP
to achieve a seamless integration, and personnel from both companies were
on site during the conversion. "From my perspective their guys were really
knowledgeable about the shipping industry and their product," Ron said of
ProShip. "They seemed really willing to learn what we do and why, to get an
understanding of our side of the business."
Results
Although the installation of ProShip was only recently completed, Drs. Foster &
Smith is already seeing benefits. "The nice thing with ProShip is there are certain
products that have to ship a certain way, like fish that have to go overnight," said
Audrey. "We're able to tell ProShip which package has to go this way and which can
be rate shopped; it's really flexible that way."
Unable to use rate shopping with their previous software, Drs. Foster & Smith
appreciate its advantage, especially in a difficult economy. "Rate shopping was one
of the big things the ProShip guys brought in, and we've been trying to do more and
more SmartPost because it's cheaper," Ron said. "I do think our SmartPost volume
has gone up and we're automatically going to save money there," Audrey added.
Also, the dog days of system "hiccups" and server down times are over. "We're
more profitable from a productivity standpoint, not having to deal with our previous
software and the problems and issues," Ron said.
Unlike the old shipping program that charged Drs. Foster & Smith for making
carrier-required changes, ProShip updates will keep them ahead of the pack. "They
are very proactive about making changes, miles ahead, with labeling requirements,
letting us know with weekly updates we can automatically download," Ron said.
And moving forward, Drs. Foster & Smith has a single point of support with ProShip.
Whether it's a question about carrier compliance, warehouse integration, or software
function, ProShip manages all aspects of the relationship. "One of the key selling
points of ProShip is that we can work with them directly," said Ron. "They said you'll
have direct tech support and an account representative."
ProShip has turned out to be just what Drs. Foster & Smith ordered. "From when I
first talked to ProShip to now, they really did come through with what they said they
were going to do-from what the sales guy said to what the tech guys actually did-
they were really spot on with that," concluded Ron
|
|
Magneto Power Keeps the Engines Running.
|
ProShip accelerates next-day delivery of replacement parts
and equipment.
Challenge
A $50 million wholesale distributor, Magneto Power keeps outdoor equipment
dealers in the green with overnight delivery of critical repair parts. But their shipping
system was a major roadblock. "Print times on the labels were agonizing slow, eight
to 20 seconds," says Dean Kapp, corporate IT manager. For a company that prides
itself on shipping 98% of customer orders the same day, that didn't cut it.
Solution
Magneto Power switched to ProShip to solve two longstanding problems: speed
and customer support. Not only did Magneto Power want to process packages
faster, they also needed hands-on support to integrate shipping software with
an older ERP system. To meet Magneto Power's objectives, ProShip engineers
worked with the developer of the Magneto Power ERP system to assure a seamless
installation. To increase speed and efficiency they accessed business rules from
the company's mainframe, correcting an issue that the old shipping software never
resolved. "Now, there's nothing the guy on the shipping desk has to do, he just
scans the order, rules take over, he pulls the label off and sticks it on the package,"
Dean says.
Results
ProShip went live at Magneto Power in June of 2009 and hit every mark. "The goal
was to print labels five times faster, and that has been the case," Dean says, helping
Magneto Power come near to a 99.9 percent next-day shipping rate. ProShip
produces specific labels for Amazon and Fleet Farm, customers for whom Magneto
Power supplies products, and also supports UCC-128 compliant labeling. Customer
support from ProShip helped Magneto Power add two super-regional carriers to
its list of shippers, and keeps the company updated throughout the year. "Their
approach is 'We can make it happen,'" Dean says.
|
|
Power and productivity flow smoothly at Regenco.
|
SPSI-ADNM International customizes Microsoft Dynamics NAV
to manage one-of-a-kind jobs.
Challenge
Regenco is a powerhouse in its industry. A $40 million company based in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, it repairs and remanufactures the components used in power generation
worldwide. Each turbine, generator or stator is a one-of-a-kind project, however,
and conventional ERP systems are geared towards mass manufacturing. Was there a
solution that would enable Regenco to keep track of projects while maintaining a full
head of steam?
Solution
SPSI-ADNM International initially installed Navision as the primary business
application at Regenco. "We have a variety of jobs, from small repairs to engineering
services to outage activity at the site, that involve a lot of coordination and planning,"
said Joe Rauter, vice-president of production operations at Regenco. "Navision did
a good job."
The factory floor was still running on paper, however, and a surge in new jobs in
2006 made that untenable. Regenco called on SPSI-ADNM to overhaul its business
system using the successor to Navision, Microsoft Dynamics NAV. "We wanted to
put in a manufacturing module, so SPSI-ADNM did a targeted customization," said
Joe. "We needed some way to measure performance on the floor and profitability."
Now Regenco can track when a manufacturing order goes in and out of inventory, as
well as collect engineering activity, external purchasing, subcontracting and internal
manufacturing. Sales quotes and sales orders have recently been added to NAV,
and SPSI-ADNM is building a data exchange bridge to integrate Regenco's product
data management system (PDM).
Results
By adding the manufacturing module to NAV, Regenco completely cleared paper
orders from the factory floor in just three months. It also gained improved tracking
and visibility of its jobs, which involve a great deal of variability because no two
are the same. In a schedule-dependent industry like power generation, having
this kind of data is critical. "This is expensive equipment," Joe said. "We're always
looking at turnaround time, looking to turn it around quickly, do high quality work
and hopefully make money at it."
|
Efficiency and savings for enterprise integrated shipping needs -
with legendary FedEx® reliability.
|
Magneto Power, LLC®, a wholesale distributor of outdoor power equipment and replacement parts, was looking for an enterprise-wide shipping solution to increase efficiency of the FedEx shipping process for their four fulfillment centers located across the United States. Best Way Technologies, LLC®, a FedEx Compatible Solutions Program provider, implemented a best-in-class solution that increased the speed of label printing by 80%, increased employee productivity, and eliminated the need for costly split shifts and overtime hours.
Magneto Power® operates integrated distribution centers located in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Texas, and Oregon that fulfill over 3,000+ orders a day. These facilities were experiencing long delays with their current manifesting system. According to Magneto Power® Corporate Logistics Manager, Brian McEvoy, "It would take anywhere from 5 to 25 seconds to print a label. The entire shipping process from scan of order, to pick and pack, to label printing was very slow. Overtime and split shifts were working up to 7 pm nightly." Magneto Power® set out to find a new vendor who could provide top-of-the-line support and who offered a faster and more efficient manifesting system that would allow them to process all packages within an eight-hour workday.
Magneto Power® turned to Best Way Technologies, LLC, ® a long-time member of the FedEx Compatible Solutions Program, and implemented the Best Way ProShip® system. Best Way's project team provided the integration expertise, flexibility, and testing sophistication to ensure Magneto's objectives were met and executed on time, on scope, and on budget.
Best Way's ProShip® system gave Magneto Power® the speed and flexibility that allow their employees to quickly and effectively handle fulfillment and shipment operations to meet their commitment to customers that all orders received by 5 pm would be processed that day to meet delivery requirements. Magneto Power® benefited with savings from eliminated overtime wages, increased employee efficiency, and faster label printing at 3 to 5 seconds of hitting the ship button. "Best Way ProShip® met our objectives with flying colors - we are totally impressed!" states Magneto's IT Manager Dean Kapp.
The Best Way ProShip® integration with FedEx® shipping software provided Magneto Power® with FedEx carrier-compliant shipping with the ability to maintain current FedEx versions, the use of batch processing and address validation tools. Additional functionality included dynamic domestic pricing from anywhere to anywhere, the ability to process FedEx international and ground shipments, and fuel surcharge updates in a simple and standard format. ProShip® also provided improved tracking and reporting capabilities, the ability to handle multiple business rules and fast and accurate shipping for 10 to 15 workstations without loss of speed or capabilities.
|
Dental Associates Can't Stop Smiling.
|
SPSI solution drives 700+ desktops without the need for
additional IT personnel.
Challenge
Dental Associates, a group practice serving 300,000 patients at eight locations
in eastern Wisconsin, was on the leading cusp in implementing digital x-rays.
But it meant expanding from 200 desktop units to more than 700. Updating
and maintaining their current software was already taking a bite out of the IT
department's time. To go all digital, they had to find a better way.
Solution
"SPSI introduced us to Citrix and said, 'Let's try this,'" noted Donald Whamond,
chief technology officer at Dental Associates. Starting with a proof of technology,
SPSI built a virtual desktop infrastructure utilizing Citrix XenDesktop. Dental
Associates now has more than 800 "endpoints" - a combination of thin-client, PCs
and laptops. At each clinic location, desktops network with an IBM BladeCenter S
for decentralized data storage.
The virtual desktop structure delivers the heavy processing power required at
each dental chair. Users can capture x-rays, oral photos and photos of the patient
through USB connections, and integrate them into electronic dental records. The
SPSI-engineered solution supports Dental Associates' unique "dental hospital"
model. Under one roof general dentists, hygienists, and specialists such as oral
surgeons, orthodontists and pediatric dentists practice together; they come to
the patient rather than the patient having to go to them, and patients' charts are
accessible at all locations. "Everything they need to treat the patient is at their
fingertips," said Donald.
Results
Staying with thin-client architecture saved Dental Associates from having to
purchase PCs for every dental chair. It also allows them to roll out security
patches, software updates and even Windows 7 to the entire network, rather
than laboriously updating each individual desktop. Most importantly, the SPSI
system has enabled an IT staff of eleven to handle a growing, 21st century dental
practice. "If you look at what Citrix has allowed us to do, infrastructure-wise, we
can manage with a lot less people," Donald commented.
|
|
Trans World Entertainment Corporation teams up with SPSI and Lightning Pick Technologies
|
CARSON, CALIFORNIA - June 5th, 2007 Trans World selected Lightning Pick Technologies (Germantown, WI - 262-251-2100, www.lightningpick.com) to provide a brand new Put-to-Light solution. Lightning Pick's new LP Put© offered updated cable-free light module hardware design and advanced software to improve sortation performance.
To enable the put and manifesting technologies to work as a single solution, Lightning Pick partnered with SPSI (Milwaukee WI - 414-302-2929, www.spsinet.com) to provide the new shipping system.
|
|
Dental Associates to Implement Document and Check Capture Software
|
MINNEAPOLIS, January 25, 2007 Captovation, a developer of document and check capture software, announced today that Dental Associates will implement Captovation's Web Capture product at each of its eight Wisconsin office locations. Web Capture's browser-based capture solution will help usher in a streamlined process for storing and accessing patient records.
Dental Associates is a rapidly growing family dentistry chain in central and eastern Wisconsin with over 850 employees serving around 320,000 clients. Each time patients visit an office, their file (chart) is pulled and any new patient care documentation is added.
Dental Associates' challenge has been to make patient records available as needed at each of its locations, since clients often visit multiple offices. In the past they stored all patient records in file cabinets at each office. Changes to records were then photocopied, hand-delivered, faxed or mailed to other offices. This presented multiple issues, including an ever increasing need for space and the significant cost and time required to update records.
Dental Associates' goal was three-fold: reduce as much paper as possible, provide a single accurate record source and reduce cost, all without disrupting patient care. Dental Associates worked with SPSI (Systems and Programming Solutions, Inc.), a Captovation Value Added Reseller (VAR), to implement an electronic patient records solution, using Captovation Web Capture. Web Capture is a browser-based, thin-client document capture system that requires no manual software installation. This allows organizations to get remote capture sites up and running quickly and easily.
|
|
The sky's the limit on VPI Flooring's success with SPSI laying the groundwork
|
Growth is through the roof at VPI Flooring, a leader in the flooring business for 55 years. With sales growth estimated at more than triple the industry average, the company that pioneered static control flooring attributes its strength to a new focus on innovation. Today, this is born out not only in new product designs, but also by industry-leading use of on demand technology deployed with help from IBM Premier Business Partner Systems & Programming Solutions Inc. (SPSI).
VPI Flooring is among the first in its industry to use the Web as a tool to better manage and grow its business. Earlier this year, the company launched an IBM-based extranet known as KwikServ. Designed and deployed by SPSI, the solution is one piece of an overarching strategy to help VPI Flooring better meet customer's demands and grow its business through strategic, innovative use of technology.
|
|
Leading distributor relies on B2B solution to win over customers - and new business
|
As a result of the Web interface developed by SPSI, customers can now log on to the Larson Company site 24/7, view descriptions of items, prices and availability, and submit orders. They can access their own account to view previous purchase orders, the amount they owe, and more. All accurate data, supplied in real time.
Real-time information was a primary reason for sticking with the proven IBM server platform. But it wasn't the only one. "The IBM eServer iSeries simply never goes down, and it has great security," attests Mr. Mirocha. "We also use other NT servers, but as good as they get, they're simply never as reliable and secure as the IBM eServer iSeries".
By sticking with its existing platform architecture, the Larson Company could reduce wear and tear on its network, and retain proprietary applications, preserving earlier IT investments while reaping rewards of the new IBM eServer iSeries technology. Even better, a massive amount of stored historical data could be brought right to their customers' fingertips.
|
|
