Tightly integrated CRM and Quality assurance modules added to Goldratt SME vendor Lilly’s ERP

Comprehensive customer relationship management (not just call centre support) and quality assurance are the latest modules in Lilly Software’s tightly integrated Visual Supply Chain suite (essentially modern ERP) for manufacturers. Both modules were launched in the US late last year, and favoured European users were given a glimpse of the functionality at last year’s Computers in Manufacturing Show, but it’s taken until now to get them right for the UK and Europe. First UK CRM user is Mainframe Communications in Southend: the firm the entire Visual Supply Chain ERP suite, with 25 users of CRM included, as part of a £100,000 contract. With manufacturers’ focus being steered away from classic ERP, Maz Mohamedali, Lilly’s UK sales director, insists that the additions – and in particular CRM – will rejuvenate the firm’s offerings. And with Lilly’s tight alliance with the Goldratt TOC (theory of constraints) movement to revolutionise manufacturers’ culture, methods and profitability, it’s looking an increasingly attractive proposition. Neither CRM nor Quality are being offered stand-alone – Mohamedali makes it clear that while selling add-ons to manufacturers with third party ERP would be attractive, it wouldn’t provide what he regards as the serious benefits that derive from tight integration. It’s a similar stance to that taken with Lilly’s financials. And he says that with a customer base of some 200 in Europe, there is plenty for the firm to go at. Nevertheless, Mohamedali says there is still a chance that the package could yet be decoupled from its Visual Manufacturing core. And if that happens, and ways can be found around the integration issue, we could yet see another new and potentially very interesting manufacturing-centric CRM provider emerging. Costs are in the £2,000 per user range for the full CRM suite, nearer £500 per user for more basic functionality – and similar for the Quality module. For the future, Mohamedali sees the current reduction in ERP spending as unlikely to dent Lilly’s fortunes. Lilly is privately held and cash rich, and he makes the point that these factors alone enable the company to take a longer term view than many. Indeed, he expects Lilly to grow its market share around the world with both new business in regions like Czechoslovakia and South Africa and follow-on business with its substantial (3,500 sites) US-based multi-national customer base.