Achieving the benefits of Integrated Foundry, Die Casting and Investment Casting ERP/MRP Software

You would not expect your accounts package to provide CAD

, solidification, or spectrograph analysis; so...I'm not saying there shouldn't be a certain amount of crossover, for example its advantageous for your production system to be able totake on certain accounting' functions that fall with the foundry specific arena, for example shipping, invoicing, credit and returns, in addition to the more obvious functions such as estimating and roll up job costing, all of these fall well within the remit of a production system (ERP/MRP) but they also contain valuable information that you should not have to duplicate in your accountancy system, and thus making sure they talk is essential. I have to question any system provider that purports to specialize in both accounts and foundry software, after all when you need support who are you talking to, a specialist in accounting or foundries?

So, let say you decide to go down the route of separate but joined systems, you've done your homework they all specialize in what they do and even better they all talk to each other; and now your all set for systems integration heaven not quite. The last pitfall to avoid is the nature of the software itself. The providers of the software may specialize in their area of expertise but do they specialize in yours? This question is fairly muted for CAD, solidification, and even accounting software (to a certain degree) because by their very nature they tend to be specialist; but this assumption should not carry over to your production software. The more specific you can make this area (without going down the route of reinventing the wheel) the happier everyone will be and the more effective your integration will become. In this instance one size most defiantly does not fit all. Choosing production control software that meets the needs of ERP/MRP is not difficult, choosing foundry specific software that provides ERP/MRP functionality with the additional specific functionality required to keep a foundry humming is less straight forward. The choice is limited but worth making, the specialist knowledge, technical support, and in-depth understanding of your day to day issues is invaluable. As the creator and provider of Synchro32 ( www.synchro32.com ) this is a subject very close to my heart, and one of which I feel strongly about.

So to summarise, implement independent and specific software, make sure it talks effectively with it neighbours, and provides a benefit that can be seen transparently across your company. Achieve this and costs will be reduced, savings and profits increased, and life will be easier, happier and even the coffee will taste better, although how you interpret, prioritise, and manage the resultant avalanche of information is entirely another matter

Systems Integration , two words that will strike fear into the heart of any technologically suspicious, consultant wary, foundry man (or should that be foundry person); but is there a good case to be made for systems integration and what does it mean?

Many small, and even medium size foundries still rely upon their separate departments doing the jobs they need to, in a singular and efficient manner, and it has to be said, usually making a good job of it. So why interfere? On the surface this argument seems reasonable enough, and if you accept that successful departments make a successful company then why change anything? The answer is pretty straightforward, individual departments do what's good for them and not necessarily what's good for the company as a whole. A prime example of this is the collection of data (as distinct from information). A department (in whatever form it may take) will happily collect and process data turning it into useful information; but it will generally only do this if the information it produces is attributed specifically to it, and credited accordingly; a very human trait as I'm sure you will agree. This is interesting, and some may say not particularly useful, or is it? Does this insight give us a way forward, a way to encourage a whole company approach? The answer to this question is the essence of system integration and the reason behind many of the benefits it provides. In this article I will be concentrating on the benefits which integrated software systems provide; this theory works with all forms of integration, be it computer software, manual information, or even management structure.

The premise is simple; in order to ensure departments contribute to the company as a whole they have to receive benefits equal to the effort they believe they are making. The benefit they receive can be in many forms; but it has to be strong enough to battle the general indifference (and reluctance ) to change. As I'm here to discuss integrated foundry software I will limit myself primarily to its application. The main benefits usually fall into two camps, the first through the receipt of clear and unambiguous information leading to better (read easier ) decision making, and the second, making any physical effort less demanding. Key to making this work is ensuring departments successfully associates their existing work and (more specifically) any perceived company work with the additional benefit. Integrated software can make this task significantly more apparent (and thus highlight the benefits more effectively). Collecting data into one place, analysing it, and distributing it from a central point means everyone is singing from the same hymn book. Data duplication (read duplicate effort ) and worse still misunderstandings' (read out of date duplicate effort); can be avoided. In addition, the benefit of housing collective knowledge in one place leads to information and conclusions that would ordinarily have been impossible to reach otherwise. In short, collective contribution benefits everyone; but for it to work at a departmental level they must feel benefit at departmental level.

Implementing an integrated software system is by no means an easy ride, although you can make this task easier by implementing a system specifically designed for your industry. Synchro has had 35 years of providing specific ERP/MRP systems for the foundry, investment and die casting industry. The skill knowledge and the quality of the team is a critical factor in most successful implementations. Synchro have dominated this sector of the manufacturing market; their hundreds of customers run healthy businesses, through two long recessions over the last two and half decades never losing a customerthis is a fact the company are extremely proud of.

Many foundries have installed generic ERP/MRP systems (usually at the request of group') to find that most the benefits are (not surprisingly) aimed at group level. These benefits are usually reliability of production scheduling, financial reporting and predictability, and concentrate more (for the most part) on the final result than the means of getting there. The plain truth is generic ERP/MRP systems work well at group level but not at foundry level; for many reasons outside the scope of this article. However, integrated ERP/MRP software written specifically for foundries do exist providing all the benefits that group require whilst making sure the foundry can still run smoothly and successfully.

Achieving the benefits of integrated foundry, die casting and investment casting ERP/MRP software www.synchro32.com

Achieving the benefits of Integrated Foundry, Die Casting and Investment Casting ERP/MRP Software

By: Barbara Nolan

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