StatLab sees Epicor software as route to supply chain visibility

Cara Skowronski, director of continuous improvement for the US company, says that it will replace the company's aging and home-grown systems. She explains that the existing ERP and CRM systems were implemented when the company was much smaller, so system functionality has lagged behind business growth. "We haven't had integrated ERP and CRM systems," states Skowronski. "And given the rapid pace of our business, we need a fully-integrated solution, so everyone has consistent access to up-to-date information in the office and on the road." She explains that Epicor will enable StatLab to replace manual data collection with electronic systems, whether by mobile device or computers on the shopfloor, in addition to allowing the company to have a better idea of real costs in production and distribution. For example, StatLab, she says, hopes to give customers accurate freight estimates at the point of order entry – which matters because of the shipment sizes. Epicor systems will be able to provide an accurate shipping quote, so there are no surprises for customers on the back end. Skowronski also says that StatLab customers value the ability to manage inventory in a hands-off way and often place blanket or recurring orders that are scheduled out into the future. They also need the flexibility to change the order if needed, which was consuming hours of StatLab employees' time creating manual workarounds. "Epicor will enable us to be more agile to complete those customers' needs," she asserts. StatLab is also planning to launch an e-commerce option, a service that the company was previously unable to provide, due to limitations with its existing ERP system. "Many of our customers are asking for online ordering capability or EDI to transmit orders, and we look forward to being able to provide this service," says Skowronski.