K3 bucks trend: sees manufacturing growth in first half

"We have exceeded our budget for the first half of the year and are seeing manufacturers continuing to invest in ERP solutions," comments Howard Joseph, managing director of K3 Business Technology Group. He cites new customers including packaging and labels manufacturer CCL Labels, Godwin Pumps, packaging developer RAP and medical devices firm Frontier Medical Group. "They realise there's an opportunity to become more efficient when the economy starts to recover, and we are seeing new and existing customers continuing to invest in their computer solutions in all areas of their businesses," says Joseph. "Moving forward, we still recognise there are difficult times ahead but we are upbeat about our first half results and cautiously optimistic about what the future holds," he adds. And the company is anything but complacent – recently launching the Syspro ERP report writer, aimed at easing build-to-order manufacturing agility, with improved planning and scheduling tools. Contract seating manufacturer Boss Design is an early adopter and says the system has revolutionised its shopfloor planning – cutting lead times and wastage. Says Virginia Seaward, group head of operations: "Everyone now understands what they're supposed to have ready and when -- it's brilliant." And she adds: "By almost eliminating order mistakes and combining this with vastly improved visibility of demand and the ability to effectively schedule work, we have seen lead times come down. There is much less waste – both in terms of manpower and material – and customer service is constantly improving, while still achieving massive growth."