IO Electronics aims high with Epicor ERP system

The firm, which specialises in PCB and cable assembly production, as well as prototyping, testing and product assembly, is acquiring customers faster than at any other time in its 10-year history. "We have seen fantastic growth in recent years and now have 35—40 regular customers," comments Andrew Cridland, managing director at IO Electronics. "We have aggressive growth plans to double annual turnover in the next four years, and that is why we are investing now in Epicor ERP." Cridland says that IO Electronics' previous ERP system is now 10 years old, and was too inflexible – meaning that information, such as project costing, quotations and order tracking, had to happen in other applications. "Taking on a new site and expanding our business means sharing of information and communication across the company [which] risks becoming fragmented and affecting our efficiency," opines Cridland. "With Epicor, we will have all information available to the departments that need it in real-time... As our operatives finish a task they will update Epicor ERP, meaning we can track the progress and location of any production run across any of our four facilities," he adds. Cridland also refers to "excessive stock" often held by the company. "The existing solution is unable to maintain a list of parts that links multiple suppliers and customer production projects through a single component code," he explains. "This means that high levels of stock exist for certain parts that are shared across products, because they use separate, unlinked codes. If these codes were linked it would be possible to aggregate stock figures. "Epicor ERP will help address this problem through single part codes, which, in turn, improve the management of production planning and allow substitute components," he states.