\\\ Manufacturing \\\ Success story
amount of data that was either no longer used, or needed cleansing in some way. When a software update is applied to an existing solution, even with the best intentions, it is rare that data is cleansed at a later date, as other business demands take over.
Solution overview
Assembling a team of seven from across all departments, Permastore began work on the project in 2009. Originally the project management team had estimated two to three months of the project would be taken up defining and completing the data migration stage, but this was reduced to a mere two to three weeks through the use of Epicor’s Data Management Tool (DMT). The DMT captured errors, allowed stop/start importing and greater granularity over what was (and was not) transferred. The DMT also allowed the import and transfer of both static and dynamic data through additional tools. “We moved in excess of 160,000 items of data over 40 DMT imports,” explained Stevens.
The team also used the upgrade process to revise all 13 of its existing configurators to take advantage of the new features and interface within Epicor 9. The development process within the new platform meant that the internal Permastore team was able to undertake this work without touching the base code of Epicor 9, and quickly achieve results that impacted the sales and engineering teams. This work was all done using internal resource due to the flexibility of the new system.
Fast data migration
Permastore wanted to conduct the upgrade from Vantage to Epicor 9 through a clean installation; something the team believes would not have been possible without the Data Management Tool, which also cut the data migration phase from two to three months to two to three weeks. “The DMT paid for itself many times over and made an incredible difference to the deployment process,” said Stevens. “It allowed us to focus on other aspects of the upgrade, and cut the time to go live. If we had not had the DMT our only option would have been to upgrade and cleanse the data later, or to simply not upgrade at all.”
At its heart, Epicor 9 has a business process management (BPM) engine that allows Permastore to define its unique process rules and procedures. Unlike some solutions that require this to be achieved through complex modifications, often at code level, Permastore can quickly and easily ensure that their systems mirror its ‘real world’ processes without relying on external consultants. Specifically, Permastore has already developed a BPM based solution for its process line, allowing production to view and manage work in progress on this key facility.
Significant impact
These changes, along with the new configurators, are already having a significant impact on the performance of the business, cutting the total cost of ownership of the
system as the internal team can implement new processes and features themselves. A reduction in the amount of time spent on database management tasks has also been seen, meaning that the team spends less time on administrative tasks and more on building on the new Epicor 9 platform that is in place.
“We are continually looking at how technology can bring greater efficiency to our business”, said Ruth Joy, Permastore’s planning control manager. “This deployment makes our business system more agile and able to adapt quickly with the business. Epicor is playing a key part in our continued performance and we can now process information very quickly. We are already looking at the next phase of our IT evolution, now we have Epicor 9 in place.” Permastore is planning projects for real time material issuing and integration into third party software delivering a step change in stock accuracy.
Flexibility
Stevens concluded: “Epicor 9 is a very flexible system. We can connect to factory machines, other software, and work in real- time with it using the DMT and Epicor Service Connect. Upgrades take time, but with careful planning and tools such as the data migration tool, you can reach go live quicker than you would expect.” Permastore will be running a number of mini projects over the next two years. It believes each of these will bring additional benefits to the company as it takes advantage of the new features in Epicor 9.
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MANUFACTURING &LOGISTICS
IT
March 2011
www.logisticsit.com
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