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SYSPRO Case Study
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
- Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
Applicable Industries
- Aerospace
- Automotive
- Electronics
Applicable Functions
- Procurement
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Manufacturing System Automation
- Predictive Maintenance
Services
- System Integration
- Training
The Challenge
Stimac’s initial efforts were devoted to growing sales, and within two years, the company had outgrown its 1,500 sq. ft. bay and relocated to a 5,000 sq. ft. facility equipped with multiple rows of precision CNC equipment. A second shift was added in 1994, and a third shift established in 1995. The close of 1995 saw the move to a new 11,000 sq. ft. facility and the addition of much-needed office personnel. What had started out as a part-time hobby now required a much larger staff and the need for better information in order to secure repeat orders. As Yvonne Stimac, Metal Essence Operations Manager, explains, “As far as technology goes, the shop floor was always state-of-the-art. We just had to update the office side to keep up with customer requirements. We had started doing some production for the automotive industry and became aware of the need for documentation and traceability to secure repeat business.”
About The Customer
Metal Essence, based in Sanford, Fla., is proof that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and flourishing in America. The company began operations in a residential garage in 1986, much like Hewlett-Packard, another renowned high technology company that also had similar origins. At the time, founder Al Stimac was an executive for a leading Florida-based electronics manufacturer. In his post, he witnessed the huge volume of high technology business being purchased from other states, so he established a personal goal of making his adopted state, Florida, a high-technology resource. Consequently, he formed Metal Essence, a precision metals and plastics fabricator that today specializes in high-quality, close-tolerance machining for the electronics, automotive, telecommunications, medical and aerospace industries. As with many individuals starting new ventures, Stimac was unsure that his fledging company would get “off-the-ground.” Initially, Metal Essence had no open lines of credit nor investors, so Stimac treated the new venture as more or less of a hobby and chose to retain his full-time executive post. Knowing the value of quality in business, his first purchase for the new endeavor was a state-of-the-art CNC turning machine. It wasn’t until 1992 that a rising sales curve at Metal Essence convinced Stimac that his “hobby” was a viable concern and one that required his undivided managerial expertise to achieve new levels of growth. Stimac’s “hobby” had now become a full-time venture, and he assumed the role of Metal Essence President.
The Solution
The company called in John Edgar, now CEO of an Orlando-based software consultancy. Edgar assessed the needs of Metal Essence and suggested the firm take a look at SYSPRO enterprise software, a modular, integrated Enterprise Resource Planning solution. After seeing a demonstration of the SYSPRO solution, the Stimacs were convinced that it would fill their current needs, and, equally as important, also had the scalability to accommodate future growth. The latter was a significant consideration in the firm’s justification of such a major purchase. Another strong selling point was the software’s ability to support EDI (Electronic Data Integration), a growing requirement of the company’s expanding automotive customer base. The EDI module gives companies the capability to rapidly exchange large batches of business transactions automatically and electronically in the traditional standardized formats between trading partners to support JIT (Just-in-Time) ordering objectives.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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