Electronics Manufacturing: S and Y Industries' Transformation with Cetec ERP
S and Y Industries cleared a six-week purchasing backlog and processed thousands of demand lines in hours by implementing Cetec ERP and CalcuQuote, improving execution during a period of supply chain disruption.
Company Overview
S&Y Industries, based in Wichita, Kansas, is a leading contract manufacturer specializing in printed circuit board assemblies, electro-mechanical assemblies, and wire harnessing. With over 120 employees, S&Y Industries has been navigating the challenges of the global parts shortage while striving for growth and operational efficiency.
Challenges
S&Y Industries faced significant hurdles in their purchasing process, especially during the global parts shortage. Their previous ERP system, IQMS, was unable to scale with their needs, causing a six-week backlog in issuing purchase orders (POs). This inefficiency highlighted critical scalability issues that impacted the company's growth and operational effectiveness.
The Search for a Solution
Brant Littrell, Commander of Supply Chain at S&Y Industries, and Matt Miers, General Manager, recognized the need for a more scalable and automated ERP solution. Their quest led them to a webinar featuring Cetec ERP and CalcuQuote's ShopCQ integration. Impressed by the potential to automate their demand lines, they decided to explore Cetec ERP further.
“It’s not just being able to work more efficiently, Cetec ERP has intuitive processes built into it that allow you to work a lot smarter. That’s been a big thing that we’ve noticed right out of the gate — it just works for what we need it to do. It’s totally different from any experience we’ve ever had in dealing with ERP companies.”
- Brant Littrell, Commander of Supply Chain
Implementation Journey
The implementation of Cetec ERP began with a critical need to address the purchasing backlog. On the first day of going live, S&Y Industries managed to process 3,500 demand lines, almost ready to cut POs on 1,200 of them in just one to one and a half hours. This was a dramatic improvement from the previous six to eight weeks it previously took to process the same number of lines. The seamless integration between Cetec ERP and CalcuQuote allowed S&Y Industries to streamline their purchasing process significantly.
Key Benefits
- Efficiency in Purchasing: The new system reduced the PO processing time from six weeks to four hours, eliminating over 100,000 lines of manual data entry annually.
- Real-Time Data and Intuitive Processes: Cetec ERP provided intuitive processes and real-time data access, allowing S&Y Industries to work smarter and more efficiently.
- Enhanced Scalability: The flexibility and responsiveness of Cetec ERP enabled S&Y Industries to handle their rapid growth and complex supply chain needs.
- Improved Inventory Management: The ability to see open work orders and know exactly what could be built at any given time was invaluable, significantly improving stockroom visibility.
- Support and Customization: The hands-on support from both Cetec ERP and CalcuQuote was instrumental in the successful implementation. Cetec ERP's willingness to develop new tools and features tailored to S&Y Industries' needs was a game-changer.
Future Goals
S and Y Industries aims to go predominantly digital, leveraging Cetec ERP's web-based platform to ensure all ERP data is accessible on any device. They plan to integrate more APIs with their surface mount machines to further automate and streamline their operations. The ultimate goal is to eliminate manual data entry and focus on more strategic tasks, thus enhancing overall productivity.
Conclusion
Cetec ERP has provided S&Y Industries with a robust, scalable, and flexible solution that has transformed their operations. By addressing the critical purchasing inefficiencies and offering a platform that grows with their needs, Cetec ERP has enabled S&Y Industries to focus on their core competencies and drive growth in a challenging market. The partnership with Cetec ERP and CalcuQuote exemplifies how innovative solutions and strong support can lead to significant operational improvements and business success.
"Cetec ERP checked all the boxes for what we need as an EMS company. The support from both Cetec ERP and CalcuQuote has been incredible, allowing us to cut PO processing time drastically and improve our overall efficiency. We couldn't be more excited about the future with Cetec ERP."
- Matt Miers, General Manager at S and Y Industries.
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