The Customer
Jenks & Cattell Engineering is a leading sheet metal manufacturing business based in Wolverhampton. They offer a manufacturing service of metal pressing, laser cut fabrication, welded assembly and CNC machining, offering complex manufacturing solutions across a wide range of industries including automotive, off-highway, defence and medical.
There are 100 team members over 11 core departments who all have a level of responsibility for ERP data inputting. The team use the system for a complete customer journey, from opportunity management, producing quotations, production order costings through to manufacturing processes and efficiencies.
The Challenge
Jenks & Cattell required a new ERP system to replace a dated Microsoft NAV Dynamics ERP system which had outdated information in and didn’t function as desired from an operation efficiency and data capture point of view. It was preferable by our senior team to obtain a similar but more efficient version. Business Central was chosen as a Microsoft based project as our team would be more familiar with its functionalities.
With the business having multiple manufacturing processes, production routes and costing requirements, they needed a business management system which reflected how the company actually operated and in real time.
Business Central provided a strong foundation; however, the standard system did not fully meet the bespoke requirements of a busy manufacturing environment.
The Brief
· A structured CRM for managing opportunities, prospects and sales and marketing activity
· A faster and more consistent quoting process with clear reporting data
· Shop floor data capture designed around its manufacturing operations
· Better visibility and reporting facilities
· Better visibility of production progress and performance
· Accurate production orders and pricing structure
· A system that could adapt as the needs of the business develop
· Establish processes to fit a bespoke implementation
The Solution
Kevin from The Business Central Team was resident on site at Jenks & Cattell in Wolverhampton to ensure he could work with all the different departments and create solutions which suited the business from a multi axis view and requirement. For example, Sales will want to see how much they have quoted and to whom, whereas Production will want to see how many need to be made and when, and Finance want to see the profitability of said customer and or project.
Implementations included:
· Increased efficiencies within a bespoke shop floor data capture which links into BC.
· Production costings have been developed to have a true understanding of the manufacturing cost of each order
· Production performance data is more visible and supports decisions about quotation, margins and processes
· The quoting process was improved, creating a structured way to prepare, monitor and manage quotations.
· Connect marketing and sales activity more closely to the companies operational and commercial information
· Bespoke shop floor data capture solution linking directly from shop floor to Business Central
· Record relevant production information as work progresses to reduce admin and improve the flow of information
· Warehousing solutions to ensure stock takes are always accurate
Collaboration
The Business Central Team worked closely with Jenks & Cattell as an extension of the internal team, taking time to understand the whole business and identify opportunities for further improvements.
This collaborative approach has allowed this to consider the lifetime of the project rather than a one-off fixed project, which means the level of depth, knowledge and understanding of Jenks & Cattell’s requirements are secure and functional for many years.
Due to the complexity of the business, and the time Kevin puts into the implementation, we constantly developed and made positive changes which although put the launch date back, it gave the sense of security that when it was launched – it was because it was 100% ready to launch and succeed.
The onsite support has been particularly valuable to obtain and request live changes in a timely manner, and also to train team members with a level of personalisation.
The Results
· Improved accuracy and availability of production information
· The financial information is accurate with available production, scrap pricing and costing data
· Manufacturing performance and profitability is visible and easily measured
· The team can respond more effectively to changing business requirements
· The business can plan and manage more consistently and efficiently where our customers can see an improvement in customer service and delivery performance
· All files in one central area in SharePoint with better control and security over documents
The Future
The ongoing service support plan means that Business Central is not simply an off the shelf software package. It has created a platform to support current operations while providing the bespoke solutions and flexibility needed for future growth.
Having a system designed around the Jenks & Cattell team, manufacturing services, processes and long-term business objectives offers long term security for development.