B&K Overcomes Operational Challenges with Encompix ETO ERPWritten by Roger Meloy
B&K Corporation has two Michigan manufacturing plants, one in Fenton and one in Saginaw. The company founded in 1952 recently transformed their technology process by implementing ETO (Engineer-to-Order) ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Leader Encompix, based in Cincinnati, OH.Kurt Kuck, CFO for B&K shared some of operational challenges company faced on a daily basis prior to Encompix implementation. Kuck noted, “We are a special order business. Every order we get is different in some regard, but many of our machines have some commonality to them. Our tendency was that when we received a new order, we had not simplified method of identifying what we could use from previous orders. That approach just added to cost. What was needed was some standardization.” Kuck also on lack of efficiency in old Syteline system from Symix (now Infor Global Systems). “Syteline was fine for tracking material and labor costs. But what was lacking was capability to bring it all together into a job cost system that we could use for percentage of completion.” Kuck noted they did not have a real time system. It was a very paper intensive system. The company would go into monthly job cost meetings that lasted hours and with three inch books of paper with all project budget recaps. The Syteline data was three weeks old.
| | The Top Ten People Skills You Need to Build a Dynamic BusinessWritten by Martin Haworth
What does it take to make businesses perform extremely well? Such that they do above and beyond expectations. It's when your people work together in incredible ways, to create far more than you might expect. It's where they are in a special place when they work together. And to get there, they have to be in a culture that is very special - and you can create it in your business too!
Here are ten key points that will make a big, big difference:-
- Build Great Relationships
Take time to engage with your people. Enjoy conversations with them. Listen more than you speak.
- Be Generous
This is not a money thing. Generous with your time, your courtesy, your behaviours. Be a kind boss and be humble.
- Encourage People
Encouragement creates tremendous energy. Think about when you were encouraged - what was it that happened to you - replicate it a hundred times in next week.
- Make it Safe
Let people fail gracefully - and not about catching them out. Be net they fall into and help them experience and learn from their mistakes safely.
- Trust and Honesty
These have to be a given for your people to give of their best for you. Setting standards will encourage this as a baseline in your business.
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