The African pumps and valves industry is now able to take full advantage of international integrated ERP vendor and CRM specialist, Epicor Scala's well known iScala ERP software suite.
The iScala suite of products allows for connection to subsidiary or branch sites, central back office functions, customers, partners and suppliers computer systems - and its collaborative nature allows for it to interface right throughout the supply chain. It is the product's ability to link the elements of manufacturing, warehousing and procurement which makes it so attractive to the pumps and valves industry.
According to Tiaan Grobbelaar, general manager of Epicor Scala Africa: "To implement a fully integrated ERP system complete with comprehensive CRM functionality in any industry requires, that the software is specific to the industry it needs to cater for. That said, iScala for "Pumps and Valves" has been custom-built to serve the needs of global leaders in the pumps and valves marketplace and is therefore ready to be deployed to other players in this space without cumbersome and expensive customisation being added to the implementation cost."
The solution for the pumps and valves industry is the result of 25 years of installing technology to drive efficiency and operational excellence in this sector, in more than 140 countries around the world and 30 different language environments. Its intimate understanding of the workings of this industry has led to iScala being deployed in many international pumps and valves giants like ITT Flygt, ABS and Grundfos through the years.
iScala reduces local inventory liability by paving the way for just in time and on-demand delivery, ensuring the reduction of risk, while still maintaining service levels and order integrity. The software also provides fully integrated after sales service functionality, warrantee management, hold for quality, special grouping of items as well as multi- levels of product category used to group products in the sales forecasting and budgeting routines. The iScala platform is further enhanced with key business intelligence (BI) tools for reporting, analysis and dashboards.
"The specific focus of Scala on the pumps and valves industry has resulted in a solution which is far closer to a 100% fit for players in this market, meaning that implementations can be completed far faster and more cost-efficiently in the first place with minimal customisation and go on to provide more immediate business benefits and quicker ROI," says Grobbelaar.
In addition to fast implementation times with out of the box customisation for the pumps and valves sector as well as integration with existing enterprise solutions, iScala delivers rapid ROI through applying global industry standards to the tasks of improving customer satisfaction levels and achieving higher levels of after-sales support through automated processes.
This platform focuses on three key areas namely; back-office functionality, connectivity, and finally enhancing the user experience through the automation of day to day processes and the ability for users to interact with the real-time system through any device they have available and from any location.
The company also recognises that having the best product alone is not the key to industry domination in any sector, and it backs its technology solutions up with a dedicated global network of highly experienced implementation partners and consultants.
Concludes Grobbelaar: "Implementing iScala will help drive the success of your pumps and valves organisation through the optimisation of business processes and improved integration of these components throughout the lifecycle of your product, from the development phases through to installation and beyond by enhancing after-sales efficiency.
"The software is known globally as the perfect fit for this complex industry, and is capable of delivering the same substantial benefits enjoyed by our global customers on SA and African shores, bringing the local pumps and valves industry into the worldwide marketplace without requiring substantial investments in customisation and industry-specific optimisation time."
Some of the key features of the iScala solution which enable the delivery of these business benefits include:
* Serial number handling and lot traceability allowing you to locate pumps and trace products by location, from assembly through and to final product, for recall purposes, service maintenance and/or warranty purposes
* Multiple manufacturing types including make to stock, make to order and engineer to order
* Drop shipment allowing you to ship orders from locations other than the sales office (including third parties) with fully automated completion of the order and invoicing cycle
* Connectivity Solutions that allow XML based connectivity to other systems including suppliers, customers, and centralised back office systems or shared service centres
* Project Management for the support of site construction and/or installation
* Service Management for the ongoing maintenance and service of operational items
* Leasing and rental functionality allowing you to provide alternative flexible service offerings such as long term rental to very short emergency or service replacement contracts
* Set attributes for an item to enable special grouping of items
* Levels of product category used to group products in the Sales Forecasting/Budgeting routine and reporting
* Extended description information allowing an additional 500 characters of "extra description" to be held against an inventory item
* Simplified configuration assembly providing the flexibility to create configuration variances based on an original configuration and associated accessory lists
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For 20 years, Epicor has been a recognised leader dedicated to providing integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) software solutions to midmarket companies around the world. With the acquisition of Scala, Epicor is a global leader in the midmarket serving over 20 000 customers in over 140 countries. Epicor leverages innovative technologies like Web services in developing end-to-end, industry-specific solutions for manufacturing, distribution, enterprise service automation, and hospitality that enable companies to immediately drive efficiency throughout business operations and build competitive advantage.
With the scalability and flexibility to support long-term growth, Epicor's solutions are complemented by a full range of services, providing a single point of accountability to promote rapid return on investment and low total cost of ownership. Epicor's worldwide headquarters are located in Irvine, California with offices and affiliates around the world. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.epicor.com/.
Scala Africa
Scala Epicor is represented in Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands by Scala Africa, which provides sales, consulting and implementation skills to a customer base of more than 400 companies in Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. Headquartered in Johannesburg and with offices in countries including Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, Scala Africa, is a truly pan-African concern that offers integrated, collaborative ERP solutions to businesses across the continent. Visit Scala's Web site at www.scala.net or www.epicor.com for press information including press releases, information and product information.
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