Integrated systems give manufacturers room to grow

South African manufacturers could save time and money by using integrated software systems for their production planning, says HansaWorld SA Country Manager, Kevin Clarke.

"Most local manufacturers are doing manual planning using complicated spreadsheets, which takes a lot of time and creates inaccuracies," says Clarke.

"It`s the biggest headache in the manufacturing industry at the moment. It`s losing firms time and opportunities that could be used for extra production."

Clarke says the production planning and forecasting modules in HansaWorld Enterprise, the company`s flagship enterprise resource planning (ERP) software product, can help manufacturers produce more efficiently, whether they are making to stock or making to order.

"We can automatically generate detailed production plans and purchase plans based on known bills of materials, purchase order and production lead times, current stock levels and sales forecasts," says Clarke.

"The beauty of the HansaWorld system is that it`s completely integrated across all areas of the business, from production through logistics to accounts and CRM. So, to take one example, the moment a salesperson captures an order, the system can automatically update the production plan."

"Most manufacturing systems only operate at the level of the plant," adds Clarke. "Interfacing those systems to accounts, the warehouse and the sales team can be a nightmare. With HansaWorld`s real-time information flow there is no duplicate data entry and zero delay in getting information from one end of the organisation to the other. That means the planning process is faster and you don`t sit with dead stock or inadequate materials."

Even better news, says Clarke, is that HansaWorld`s solution has been specifically designed for the mid-size enterprise, with between five and 300 users. "We emphasise ease of use, mobility and affordability," he says.

"HansaWorld software is very light on computer resources and bandwidth - our clients don`t need to make huge investments in new servers and other hardware. The system also runs on mobile devices like handheld bar code scanners, which can dramatically improve warehouse efficiencies."

Clarke says HansaWorld`s production and forecasting modules are able to handle even the most complex manufacturing environments, with multiple sub-assemblies and complex routing or process requirements. "We`re able to help manufacturers do detailed capacity planning by understanding the value of the assets they have tied up in production at any given time, and how much time each process is taking."

In fact, says Clarke, most clients don`t initially have the capacity to use all the functionality HansaWorld offers. "We like to think we give our clients room and opportunity to grow," he says. "HansaWorld offers an incredibly versatile and powerful platform for ambitious companies to grow on."