Is It Time to Upgrade to a Commercial Bakery Management ERP Software System?

If you are a growing commercial bakery, you may be finding your current operational software system, or in many cases multiple systems, just aren't making the cut.  While growth is a welcomed situation, it often doesn't come without bumps in the road.

Working with commercial bakers and other process manufacturing specialties for over 10 years has given us the opportunity to help them find more efficient ways to operate.  For example, one commercial baker performed manual mandatory lot tracking required of all food manufacturers, with mock recalls consuming hours and hours of staff time.  Once they implemented O2 Bakery ERP software, which includes powerful integrated lot tracking and Certificate of Analysis functionality, their operations were significantly streamlined.  In their own words,

"In less than an hour we can trace any lot, identifying the source of the ingredients, the final products they went into, and who we shipped the products to."

Creating more efficient operations within the warehouse will also mean large savings for commercial bakers.  Again, a client facing unprecedented growth found that their warehouse operations weren't doing them any favors in terms of determining inventory and shipping out orders.  Previously, warehouse employees would spend up to six hours each week, moving in and out of freezers counting product, recording their results, and double-checking discrepancies.  Now, the company performs smaller cycle counts on a subsection of its inventory using wireless handheld devices for O2 Mobile Warehouse and receives real-time, accurate inventory information. 

Despite doubling its operations, this commercial baker has not had to hire additional administrative personnel to support the growth either.  By utilizing the tools and functionality provided for both manufacturing and warehouse operations, they were able to eliminate redundant tasks, minimize overhead, and reduced paperwork -- all while increase accuracy.

For a more in-depth look at how this commercial bakery and others have successfully managed their operations using commercial bakery management ERP software, visit www.evs-sw.com.

Tracking Inside Your Warehouse: How O2 Mobile Warehouse Can Help

Effective tracking and tracing of raw materials, specific lots, or really any inventory that is being held within your warehouse can lead to increased visibility and accuracy.  Having accurate information here, can lead to a ripple effect of visibility for your entire business.

If you are a process manufacturer, O2 Process Manufacturing ERP software provides cradle-to-grave lot tracking along with a one click lot recall functionality.  Additionally, O2 Mobile Warehouse provides multiple functions to help you keep track of all of your warehouse operations.  Using patented Smart-Barcodes and handheld scanners, warehouse employees can effectively track pallets, pick-while-you-pack/ship, perform pre-shipment staging, and track inventory all while minimizing key strokes and maximizing user efficiency.  By managing lot tracked items, inventory location and bin movements within a location becomes as simple as scanning a couple of barcodes.

You can even take your inventory management automation even further with the help of the O2 Cycle Count module.  With consistent use of the cycle counting module, you will minimize inventory variances through the year, and some businesses have negated the need for year-end physical inventory counts.

For more information on our warehouse distribution software, visit www.evs-sw.com.

EVS Welcomes New O2 Chemical ERP Software Client Vital FSM PetroCorp

In a recent blog post about chemical manufacturing, it was stated that the industry is on a path of growth.  Today, we're happy to announce the signing of a new client, Vital FSM PetroCorp, a company that is seeing growth and is looking to improved enterprise visibility.

In an effort to gain real-time information, Vital FSM PetroCorp is utilizing O2 Chemical ERP software.  The chemical manufacturing ERP software provides tools that are industry-specific, including:

• Strict quality and regulatory compliance features
• Formulate to multiple specification, such as chemical property
• Real-time cost data
• What-if costs analysis to improve pricing decisions

The chemical manufacturing software system will facilitate your manufacturing method, no matter if you produce complete batches, require finished goods to ship before a batch is closed, or operate in a "continuous flow" environment.

For more information on our process manufacturing software, O2 Chemical ERP, visit www.evs-sw.com.

Chemical Manufacturing Growth With O2 Chemical ERP Software

As recent reports show, the chemical manufacturing industry continues to experience growth.  As companies experience growth, having the adequate software programs in place are key.  It's sometimes surprising to see how many businesses are operating by piecing together information from various programs.  Not only is this a less efficient way to operate, but it also leaves a large opportunity for errors as data is typically entered into the system manually.  A larger impact is the lack of real-time data this method produces.

O2 Chemical ERP software meets the specific needs of chemical manufacturers, such as:

• strict quality control
• strict regulation requirements
• meeting unique formulation specifications (i.e. chemical property)

With low margins and often highly fluctuating raw material costs, managing your businesses profitability is critical in the chemical manufacturing industry.  This chemical manufacturing ERP software system will give you the real-time cost data, provide "what-if" scenario cost analysis, and make your pricing decisions easier through clear and accurate information.

For more information on the chemical ERP system mentioned here, visit www.evs-sw.com.

4 Tips to Help Manufacturers Select and Implement the Right ERP Software System

If you're a manufacturer that finds yourself in the market for either your first, or a new ERP software system, you're probably looking for any tips you can find to help make your selection and implementation a success. Below are are few key tips to help you find the right solution and have a successful implementation.

• Select an industry-specific solution.  Implementing an ERP software solution that fits your vertical industry requirements will do more for your business in the short and long term than using one that's not.  Having functionality that addresses your critical processes and industry regulations will help you get the most out of your system without the need for customizations.

• Find the right fit for end users.  Any ERP system selected will only benefit the company if it's actually put into use, and the users find that it is improving their work and business flow.  

• Look for scalability.  The growth of your business is most likely what brought you to the point of searching for an ERP solution.  Select your ERP software with your future growth in mind, and find a solution that is scalable to accommodate your future needs.

• Allow time to train.  Make time for training for all users of the system.  When the end users are trained and allowed to fully understand the functionality that is available in the system, they are more attached to the success of the project.

Are you looking for more tips?  Check back as we'll be posting a few more over the next few weeks. For more information on our ERP software system offerings, visit www.evs-sw.com.

Are You Ready to Move To Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software for Manufacturing?

Are you a growing manufacturer who is finding that you are outgrowing your current business management system?  Often times, companies experience growing pains and begin to realize that the systems and processes that once were suitable to manage information may no longer be an asset.  More often than not, holding on to these inefficient software programs and processes is what drags down productivity and potential growth.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is the next step in moving your company forward.  The purpose of ERP software is to manage the flow of information throughout the organization.  Are employees currently stuck manually entering data into Excel spreadsheets?  Then, are you trying to pull together information from various systems in order to create a useful report on sales, production, inventory, etc?  How confident are you in the accuracy of these reports?  Implementing ERP software allows organizations to integrate systems that operates in real time (or next to real time) without relying on the periodic and typically manual updates.

While Sage 500 ERP software offers core accounting, manufacturing and warehouse distribution functionality, it is important to know there are expanded solutions for those in process manufacturing industries. While a core manufacturing ERP software system would significantly improve your management of information, implementing a process manufacturing ERP software system (if it applicable) has even greater benefit.

O2 Process Manufacturing ERP software includes all of the core features and also provides formula costing, planning and production, quality control, regulatory reporting, and more features that are specific to your process manufacturing industry needs.

While you begin your search for the right ERP system for your business, there will certainly be a number of questions that come up.  We'd be happy to help answer those at any time.   For more information on the ERP systems mentioned here, visit www.evs-sw.com.