Ways to Get the Most Out of Your ERP System. A Practical Guide for Manufacturers

Transcription

1 7 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your ERP System A Practical Guide for Manufacturers

2 Avoid the Bad Data Syndrome that affects so many companies ERP systems How can you make sure that only accurate data becomes the basis of your crucial assumptions and decisions? Trust Straight-Line Solutions and Symbol Technologies, the world leader in wireless network solutions and data capture technology, to deliver proven, practical, and affordable answers. This is the story of how we can provide them to you 9:40 10:32 11:05 11:38 11:46 12:15 12:35 Let s suppose for a moment that Far from the well-appointed offices of senior management, a worker on a forklift puts away a truckload of parts that have just arrived He makes some notes about the recent delivery on his yellow pad and plans to key the quantity and part numbers into the system after his break. When he is finally ready to enter the data, he is rushed because another truck has just arrived at the dock and is waiting to be unloaded And as careful as he tries to be, he makes a mistake. He keys in 550 units instead of 55 units, and returns to his duties. For a short period of time, no one is aware of the key data entry mistakes that have been made. But by now, the incorrect data entered by the forklift operator, along with the inaccurate data keyed in by others, is circulating throughout the enterprise. It s not until orders can t be filled and inventory doesn t match receiving reports that the mistakes are discovered. Unknowingly, managers tasked with making vital decisions are doing so with badly flawed data. And the awesome power of their expensive Enterprise Resource Planning system, intended to assist the supervisors and managers, is failing them because of inaccurate information. However, none of this had to happen If our fictitious manufacturer had integrated a wireless network from Straight-Line Solutions and Symbol Technologies, the forklift driver would have scanned in the correct quantity, which would have been available to the rest of the enterprise in real time, and themanagers would have been assured of making decisions based on accurate data. If this is what you want for your company, read on.

3 Straight-Line Solutions Can Help with Vital Plant Floor and Warehouse Applications: Raw material receiving Inventory control Time and attendance/job tracking Work-in-process Preventive maintenance Quality control Shipping Your ERP System is Only as Good as the Data You Feed It Receiving And more! 01 Put-away Picking As a manufacturer using an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, you know it s hungry for data in order to perform well. But as in any management program, garbage in garbage out. What are you feeding your ERP system? Plug in numbers, facts, and statistics, and it will make information instantly available all across the enterprise. The trouble is, if you re entering incomplete or inaccurate data, trouble can quickly spread far and wide, causing decision makers to make poor decisions. But there s a way to eliminate these kinds of problems and mistakes. Straight-Line Solutions understands that your ERP system represents a huge investment, and we know how you can quickly get the largest return on that investment. We specialize in helping companies like yours get the most from their ERP systems, giving users the ability to enter and access real-time, accurate data right from their point of activity. By combining the power of our solutions and Symbol s mobile computers, wireless networks and bar code scanners, Straight- Line Solutions can put vital information where your company needs it most. At your fingertips. Get the most from your ERP system with a wireless plant floor. When a plant floor is installed with Symbol s Spectrum24 wireless networking technology, there s no need to tether people to bulky equipment. And you won t have to wait around for employees to laboriously (and often inaccurately) enter data by hand at the end of their shift or the end of the day. This ensures that error-free information on transactions moves quickly from your plant floor or warehouse right into your ERP system. The bottom line? Your key business processes execute quickly, consistently, and reliably. The wireless plant floor isn t the wave of the future. It s here today and it s available now at an affordable price. Isn t it time you found out more about how Straight-Line Solutions can go to work for you? Give us a call at and we ll talk about your application challenges. With a Straight-Line solution in place, your manufacturing floor becomes the source of communicating accurate, realtime data. The result? You harness the full power of your ERP system for maximum performance.

4 7 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your ERP System 2 Slash Inventory, Cut Costs, and Increase Efficiency. 1Ensure All Data is Accurate and Timely. Whether you re collecting information on the plant floor or in the warehouse, it can be difficult to get vital data into your system. That s because data is normally entered in a two-step manner. First, it s written down and then it s keyed into the system. As a result, the margin for error is high of your completed system. Next, we use It s also a fact that the people doing this kind of work are the least likely to appreciate the impact of poorly collected data. They may not understand that, with an ERP system, bad data can spread quickly through the entire enterprise, and that important decisions are only as good as the data they re based on. With a wireless solution from Straight-Line Solutions and Symbol, things are different. We use the latest wireless network solutions and bar code data capture technologies to make sure that only accurate data gets into your ERP system. These are all things that your ERP system was designed to do. But, as you may have already learned, your ERP system is not delivering full value if vital data from the plant floor and warehouse isn t making it into the system. Straight-Line Solutions can help you meet challenges like these every step of the way. The first thing we do is listen. We work closely with you to clearly define all of your data collection needs. Then, we create a design-document that specifies your requirements and defines the metrics the appropriate hardware and software data collection tools and execute the plan. Finally, we follow up with post-installation training and support that ensures your ERP system is living up to its promise. We will also work with your in-house implementation team, or provide a complete turnkey system. Whatever products or services you need, we ve have the solution to meet your ERP challenges. 3 Make the Right Purchase Decision. When you purchase a data collection solution for your ERP system, you want to deal with a company that truly understands your unique business challenges. Straight-Line Solutions has the experience and expertise you re looking for. One call does it all, and brings in all the right resources.

5 4 Integrate Know Existing Data-handling Processes. While you re planning and executing your migration to an ERP system, you re continuing to operate with your legacy system. Your personnel are already familiar with it and are comfortable using it. In fact, you may already have a data collection system installed that is integrated with the legacy system. But as you may be discovering, migrating the data collection system to an ERP system is not always easy! If you want to significantly reduce the difficulty inherent in switching from an old system to a new one, Straight-Line Solutions can help. We have the know-how needed to integrate mobile and wireless data collection systems with a variety of legacy systems, as well as with your ERP system. Who Stands Behind the Products You Buy. 6 Make Sure Your Solutions are Easy to Maintain and Enhance. All of our solutions are! You see, we understand that you want to start getting important plant floor and warehouse data into your ERP system as quickly as possible but that s not all. You also want to be able to maintain and enhance your system without extensive follow-up processes. The good news is that Straight-Line Solutions can provide leading-edge software tools that allow you to adapt the system to your changing needs. 7 Start with a Truly Affordable Solution. If you re looking for power and flexibility at an extremely affordable price, take a close look at what Symbol has to offer. We are dedicated to providing truly cost-effective solutions that speed up the return on the investment you made in your ERP system. We re proud of the fact that Symbol recognizes us as a Valueadd Business Partner, and that we measure up to their high standards and have met a set of rigorous criteria. The bottom line? You can be sure you re dealing with a resource you can trust for expertise, knowl To find out how little a proven, time-tested edge, and experience What s more, Straight-Line Solutions can provide you with a complete suite of complementary product, software, and service solutions. In other words, with our help, and products, there s no ERP solution, simple or complex, that we can t provide. solution would cost for your company, give us a call at We ll be glad to give you all the information you need to get the most out of your ERP system.

6 Straight-Line Solutions Proudly Offers Proven, Time-tested Products This should come as no surprise. Working with Symbol Technologies, the world leader in wireless network solutions, mobile computing and bar code scanning technology. We offer solutions that will help you cut costs and inventories, fast. Here s a quick introduction to a few of the most important technologies that will help you gather vital information for your ERP system to use and manage. Whether your application challenge requires bar code scanning, mobile computers or a wireless network solution, Straight-Line Solutions has the product, service and support to meet your demands. Bar Code Scanning point and capture information that s collected accurately. Bar code scanners are the workhorses of automatic data capture and come in a wide variety of models hand-held, hands-free, fixed mount, wearable, ruggedized, all-range, and even wireless. Bar code scanners are ideal for scanintensive applications when you need to capture data quickly and accurately. Highperformance scanning technology is extremely compact, lightweight, durable, and easy to integrate. And bar code scanners like the Symbol RS 1 Ring Scanner are so small, they can be worn on your index finger! Wireless Computing the new frontier. The latest wireless technology lets you process information in real time for that extra competitive edge. For example, Symbol s Spectrum24 is a powerful wireless LAN designed to comply with the IEEE international standard for wireless communications. Their Spectrum24 system offers high performance, compatibility with current technologies, and easy integration of future application tools. Their Spectrum24 system delivers highperformance, high-throughput RF LAN technology you can count on. Key-based Computing lets you go where the data is. Today s rugged, lightweight, portable, ergonomically designed hand-held computers let users Work where the data is. This means they can gather important warehouse and factory floor information quickly and accurately, and connect it with your client/server network for timely, reliable decision support. Portable hand-held computers offer powerful data management capabilities and are available in every configuration from pen-based computers, to wearable systems, to hand-held terminals. Straight- Line Solutions offers a wide selection of affordable, portable laser scanners. Mobile Computing collect data at the point of activity. Designed specifically for mobile, information-intensive applications, Symbol s hand-held computers bring integrated scanning and network communications solutions to the point of activity, enabling workers and management to communicate in real time over Their Spectrum24 wireless network. They solve many application challenges throughout all industries. Integrate them into your enterprise and increase the efficiency of your operations. Vehicle Mount Computers bar code data capture on the move. Vehicle Radio Computers are rugged, touch screen, PC-compatible computers that provide advanced processing capability, while withstanding physical shock and vibration. Available in wireless vehicle mount configurations, Symbol s versatile VRC 8900 systems support diverse information, management, and data tracking applications. From cross-dock to forklift to yard management, the VRC series has the versatility to meet your toughest requirements.

7 100 How does a Straight-Line solution improve operations? A Wireless Network Can Solve Some of the Toughest Challenges You Face The most valuable asset in your plant isn t machinery. It s up-to-date, accurate information that you can put to use. No wonder wireless computing technology is being enthusiastically adopted by so many bottom-line-oriented companies and organizations. Simply put, it helps avoid the inevitable human errors inherent in a manual system, and provides real-time information that you can put to use immediately. For example, a Spectrum24 wireless local area network (WLAN) can help a forklift truck operator decrease the time spent searching for a specific item, optimize pick-path travel distances, and reduce rewarehousing. With a Straight-Line solution, you ll also benefit from: Reducing key-entry labor and safety stock levels Eliminating physical inventories. Enjoying fewer lost sales and back orders caused by an inaccurate inventory. Lowering inventory write-offs. If you want to raise profits, cut costs, and stay ahead of the competition, now is the time to find out more about wireless technology and how it can gather vital information in your warehouses. What makes wireless computing so exciting? The fact that it lets users in your warehouses and on your shop floor go where the data is, freely and unencumbered. And also that they can gather important information quickly and accurately, and instantly put it to use for timely, reliable decision support. Wireless networks have proven themselves as great tools for manufacturers to boost productivity, cut costs, and increase profitability. Reducing manufacturing overruns caused by inaccurate inventory levels. Lowering manufacturing disruption costs caused by material outages. And that s just for starters! No wonder companies that have already put the power of wireless data capture technology to work have discovered an important fact. That s what you actually do with data how it is collected, processed, and acted on can slash manufacturing costs, increase productivity, and dramatically boost profits. If you re looking for a way to improve your bottom line and meet the tough competitive challenges you face, take a close look at what a wireless network can do for your organization. Let Straight-Line Solutions show you how to join the wireless computing revolution

8 About Straight-Line Solutions Straight-Line Solutions offers packaged and customized wireless and mobile data collection solutions that solve a variety of unique business challenges designed to improve productivity and increase profitability. Whether creating custom solutions or integrating with existing systems, Straight-Line Solutions delivers the "best in class" products and services. Straight-Line Solutions is a complete systems integrator specializing in planning, developing, implementing, and supporting wired and wireless networks that require expertise to ensure that business goals are met. Straight-Line Solutions offers Hardware, Software, and Media Products. We are technically sound with programming and application development capabilities. We provide automated data collection solutions that streamline business operations. About Our Partner, Symbol Technologies Symbol Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:SBL), founded in 1975, is a global leader in secure mobile information systems that integrate application-specific hand-held computers with wireless networks for data and voice and bar code data capture. Symbol products and services increase productivity and reduce costs for the world s leading retailers, logistics and transportation companies, government agencies, manufacturers and providers of healthcare, hospitality and security. More information is available at For more information on our products and solutions, contact us at info@4sls.com or at , and be sure to visit our web site at Straight-Line Solutions Equine Drive Sacramento, California Phone: Fax: info@4sls.com