Monday, March 12, 2012

Automation and Integration Increases Efficiency with ERP Solution

Berk Enterprises:  Integration of AbileElilte and S2K improves rating, routing, planning, optimization, execution and reconciliation capabilities.




The Problem: Transportation costs are unmanageable and there is no easy direct method of comparison.  Manual processing.  No auditing to determine best cost or time in transit.  Frustration on the part of the shipper and equal disappointment in customer satisfaction are the results.



The Solution.  Behind the scenes, third party fully integrated solution by a resource that is dedicated to the transportation industry.  This dedication brings expert industry experience and thoughtfulness to the real world challenges faced by distributors and those in the distribution chain.



The Results: Seamless integration, reduction of costs, standardization, and reduction in employee resources.  Greater observability in tracking and identification of lost and late shipments, reduction in manpower, transportation costs are better managed.



The Concern:  Adding a third party solution to a well functioning Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution.  Modifications, however well intentioned, can destabilize a working solution.  Extreme care must be taken when making changes to your system.  Many candidates for a new system come from clients that started with a working system that they modified over time to meet their growing business demands.  After a while the system becomes destabilized and has a whole series of manual processing and integration issues.  Errors creep in and extra manpower is needed to maintain all the links. 



Every time a human is involved in the manipulation or transmission of data it has a greater potential of being corrupted. The relationship becomes exponential as more manual processes and people are involved, the risk rises quickly.



An all-in-one solution is best, but in today’s world there are so many facets of business that are in need of automation, that no one source will have the expertise to deliver all of the needed results.  Good things happen when you have a strategic partnership with a goal of customer satisfaction at the core of a solution. 



In this case Agile’s seamless integration with VAI’s S2K ERP solution is an example of good planning.  Agile is dedicated to the transportation industry.  They have the experience to manage the complexities of transportation.  That is what they do best.  VAI has extensive experience working with Manufacturers and Distributors to know and understand their challenges.  This is what they do best.



The Difference:  When an ERP solution provider creates and maintains the integration of a third party solution, they have the knowledge of their software and its intricacies.  They are responsible to maintain the interface.  When a release update comes out, they are managing the interface and update.  Errors are reduced or eliminated.  They have a team of people that understand the subtleties and nuances of their respective solutions.  They manage the risk of change so you can concentrate on your business, not the solution running the business.



A great interface is evident when that interface is seamless to the end user.  The user of the ERP solution gains the benefits of automation and efficiency.  It is how they compete with their global competition.  Efficiency reduces costs.  Efficiency increases customer satisfaction.  


Dolvin Consulting is dedicated to the solution needs of their clients.  We help you to better understand how new solutions meet your challenges and work hard to match available solutions to your budget.  Contact us today to gain a fresh perspective on what you are already doing.  Maybe you are already doing the best you can with the resources at your disposal.  Maybe you are overlooking easy changes that will improve your operations.  The only way to be sure is to look and ask questions.




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