News

Corintech Invests in New ERP System

Learn how what started as a step in Corintech’s continuous improvement programme ended up as a model of teamwork and dedication, catapulting the business to new levels of performance.

When Corintech underwent Lean Office training as part of a Government match-funded manufacturing efficiency programme, it identified that its existing ERP system was a limiting factor and would hold the Company back from its goal of continuous improvement.

Corintech’s ERP system was well-proven and very reliable but it lacked many of the features one comes to expect of modern software, such as e-mail connectivity, plain paper printing and easy data export to MS Excel for analysis. Already, to wring the maximum advantage from the system, Corintech was using the open database version of the product and had defined a suite of custom reports in MS Access. However, a meeting with the system’s provider revealed that the product was no longer being actively developed and the things on Corintech’s wish list could only be provided with a series of complicated work-rounds.

So, the hunt began for a replacement system. But far from wanting to just find a drop-in replacement with some added functionality, Corintech used this opportunity to rethink its business processes. Operations Director, Sean Wigmore explained, “We had grown used to doing things a certain way because that was the way our old system worked. When we began looking at new ERP systems we questioned every aspect of how the ‘back office’ function worked. Our aim was to vastly reduce the number of process stages in between receiving a customer’s order and beginning to add value. Many sacred cows were slaughtered in the process.”

After short-listing four ERP softwares, Corintech chose 123mrp by Rent-IT systems of Southampton. This ERP software offered Corintech all the functionality it needed but more importantly, it is a product under continual, active development. “I liked their approach”, remarked Corintech MD, Mike Barton. “They rely on the product to sell itself, having no field sales force at all. Rent-IT Systems also have a very open style – we were encouraged to undergo the full product training free of charge with no commitment to buy.” By fortunate coincidence, Corintech and Rent-IT systems are both in Hampshire, so attending workshops and training was made very easy.

The decision to go with 123mrp was made in August 2007 and the first product training was started the following month. By the end of October an ERP implementation team had been formed, the software installed with a test database and over half of the staff had undergone formal product training.  By Christmas 2007 everything was in place ready for the data transfer and all training was completed. At a very memorable ERP meeting, the decision was taken to go live with 123mrp on January 1st. It had been a considerable challenge to get everything ready for this date, from a standing start four months earlier but the team decided that the opportunity to transfer the data over the Christmas and New Year holiday period was too good to waste. In addition, it gave Corintech the opportunity to change systems at the end of one financial year and the beginning of the next. For those three months the eight ERP team members burned the midnight oil, combining carrying out their normal duties with their additional system implementation workload.

Christmas Day and New Year’s Day were ruled as sacrosanct but the team was in en masse on Boxing Day and worked continually, verifying and uploading data into the new system. “It was a fantastic team effort”, recalls Barton, “and one which made me very proud.”

When the company opened its doors for business on January 2nd, it did so with not only new business software in place but with completely re-engineered business processes. The first few weeks were taken very cautiously and any problems were carefully noted and investigated. In-house training proliferated during that period and as more and more staff became fully trained, so access rights were extended until by the end of Q1, the ERP implementation team was disbanded – a job well done!

Dean James, Sales and Marketing Director, has the final word: “Most of our customers were blissfully unaware of the changes happening behind the scenes – just as it should be. I can say in all honesty that we did not drop the ball once – not one customer was adversely affected by the implementation. But looking forward, I can confidently say that Corintech has the most streamlined business processes in the industry.”