Manufacturers Increase Their Demands for Integrated Service and Quality Systems

This article is written by
​Andy Pratico

Business Improvement Advisor & ERP Evaluation Coach

apratico@essoft.com

LinkedIn

More Equipment manufacturers are looking to extend their ERP capabilities. Engineer-to-order and project-based manufacturing systems, have always been essential for equipment manufacturers. Today, equipment manufacturers are recognizing the value of integrated Quality Systems to address and comply with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. Additionally, integrated Service Management is becoming a critical for equipment manufacturers. 

Integrated Quality Within Your ERP is Expected

Quality control is crticial for equipment manufacturers. Equipment need to be tested and inspected, ultimately capturing the data in a system of record. Equipment manufacturers need these records to prove compliance with ISO standards. Having a native Quality Control System as part of their ERP will solve these quality control demands.

Integrated ERP quality control systems are used for inspecting parts, in-process inspections, and final acceptance testing. They can also manage non-conformance, corrective actions, as well as Documents that are tracked and viewed as part of the system.

Infor Quality Control Benefits

Value achieved...


  • Incorporate quality process controls across organization
  • Track quality info on incoming, in-process and outbound material
  • Manage non-conformance and corrective actions
  • Manage equipment calibrations and inspections
  • Track quality activities, actions and topics key to continuous improvement
The most obvious benefit of integrated quality control is using a single ERP, versus bouncing between loosely cobbled systems with light (or no) integration. Lack of integration increases mistakes as it often requires dual data entry.

Additional ERP capabilities for equipment manufacturers include integrated shop floor data collection systems for quality inspections. Infor customers can use electronic data collection for more than just quality, such as attendance, labor collection, material issues, material barcoding, and lot and serial traceability.

Using smart devices Infor’s data collection system provides for quality inspections on the shop floor.

Integrated Depot and Field Service Management

More and more, equipment manufacturers expect ERP systems that include integrated service management, tracking field activities, from installation to ongoing maintenance. 

Relying on 3rd party bolted on service systems are much like the issues that arise with an unintegrated quality systems. Inefficiencies  (such as duplicate data entry) and mistakes increase. Inevitably customer service are accessing desparate systems to find information relating to warranties, unit configuration, unit location, and repair and service history.

Many equipment manufacturers that do not have the benefit of integrated service systems are forced to create workarounds, using work orders as service orders. However, capturing field activities manually is never efficient and often not accurate.

Service - Installation and Delivery

A huge part of an equipment manufacturing project is managing the installation or delivery of components. The project manager needs to ensure all transport and permitting is in place, and then collaborate with local contractors. Their ERPs need to support this element of the project.

Infor ERPs include service management that integrate the related activities: schedule crews, get routing information, capture travel and expenses, and even GPS map visibility of crew locations. 

The prep, transport, and set-up costs are also captured as part of the project, enabling the manufacturer to measure and analyze true profitability.

An ERP with integrated service management should accommodate these requirements, as well as equipment rentals to delivery scheduling and more.

Infor ERP provides equipment manufacturers with robust tools to manage service activities, from installation to maintenance.

Service Management - Warranty and Service 

After installed, most of the equipments have warranties and service contracts, or require reactive break/fix maintenance. Infor’s service management will schedule proactive warranty work. The field service teams conducting corrective actions, repair work, and parts replacement access complete unit configuration via their smart devices. As a result of the 100% integration, the as-built unit configuration is available to the service team via the same Smart Devices. The field techs see the original configuration, and the history of repairs and current unit configuration where parts have been replaced. Even serialized components.

Infor ERP’s integrated Service Management provides visibility into unit configuration and current configuration from previous repair and warranty work.

Infor’s service management facilitates the ability to take photos, obtain electronic customer sign off, and recording labor and materials used on the service repair order. These costs can be attributed to the warranty, or against a service contract, or be billed to the customer for repairs. Due to accounting integration the billing happens instantaneously, increasing cash flow and fewer days outstanding for the service department work.

Infor ERP’s also includes full mobile capabilities for field techs doing installs, warranty work, service and maintenance contract work, or unscheduled repair jobs.

Summary

The benefits of having an end-to-end equipment manufacturing ERP system are numerous. However there are few ERP options available that address these diverse functional needs, such as integrated quality control and service management. Most ERPs recommend 3rd party bolt ons or ISVs (which are never as integrated as a single end-to-end system).

Infor ERP is a unicorn, that offers end-to-end integrated functionality and never imposes 3rd party bolt ons.

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