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Engineer to Order_ERP_Rationale_Explained
| Engineer-to-Order ERP Rationale Explained
Most ETO (Engineer-to-Order) firms take at least twelve months
to decide on the appropriate ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
system. This lengthy process is due to the fact that many ERP
vendors claim to be ETO savvy and are not in fact. There are
exceptions to the rule. Recently, Big Sky Engineering
(www.bigskyeng.com) located in Middleton, Wisconsin, just
outside of Madison in south-central Wisconsin, made an important
technology decision relatively quickly.
Formed in 1997, with the goal of providing economical automation
solutions to the ever-changing packaging industry, Big Sky picks
standard, off-the-shelf components whenever possible to simplify
maintenance and eliminate machine downtime; however all of the
machines are built with future retooling in mind. Their primary
market is packaging automation machinery for consumer goods
companies (such as SC Johnson).
Chief engineer for Big Sky, Peter Dettmer originally contacted
Cincinnati-based ETO ERP leader Encompix (www.encompix.com) via
their website in November 2004. Encompix, which usually serves
the mid-market ETO manufacturer was hesitant to pursue this
opportunity because of Big Skys small size and spent much
effort pre-qualifying. However, due to Big Skys recent
explosive growth and plans for future growth, Encompix
considered this a deal worth pursuing. Despite a much higher
price point than the competitors, the functionality demonstrated
in the Encompix overview session made Big Skys decision quite
easy. To keep sales costs down, Encompix combined a site survey
and demonstration into a one day session. The three owners of
Big Sky were heavily involved in the process and able to
negotiate directly to get this deal closed by mid-February 2005.
In return for a discount, Big Sky agreed to purchase one extra
user and pay in full for software and maintenance by March 15.
Encompix crafted a somewhat revised implementation plan for this
smaller than usual customer.
Big Skys Rationale for ETO ERP Encompix Selection: 1)
Experience with manufacturers similar to their business 2)
Ability to integrate with Inventor 3) Obvious understanding of
the way they conduct business The Encompix initial
implementation is for eight concurrent users with an agreement
to protect the user price for the first year. Encompix has
filled the manufacturing software requirements of
Engineer-to-Order companies since 1992. The company name
reflects the commitment to developing business application
solutions that encompass the complex areas of project-based and
job-based manufacturing. Encompix provides ETO manufacturers
with a competitive advantage by improving bottom line results.
# # # Roger Meloy Encompix 513-733-0066
About the author:
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