Universal drills into unexpected production ERP benefits

The Sheffield-based manufacturer, which says it simply needed to "satisfy its Japanese parent's compliance demands", states that it is now seeing "slicker processes, international site integration and much more". Universal's finance director Steve Bracey believes the improvements are thanks in part to its choice of implementation partner, Azzure IT. He explains that the decision to change ERP system was initially prompted by Japanese parent Nitto Kohki needing to respond to the US SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) compliance legislation and Japanese equivalent JaSOX in 2011. "We looked at several systems, but Microsoft Dynamics NAV was the only solution that came close to meeting all of our needs," he says – pointing to a desire to use the opportunity to link Universal's manufacturing base with its three overseas satellite sites. "Crucially, we needed a system with multi-lingual capabilities and Dynamics NAV offered that out of the box." When it couldn't find an appropriate implementation partner, however, Bracey says the firm decided to go it alone – until, having gone live with version SP1 Dynamics NAV in the UK and France, NAV R2 emerged. Bracey had by then found Microsoft partner Azzure IT, so called in its services. "Azzure identified and documented the modifications we'd made and took us smoothly through the conversion to R2," he says. Unlike other system implementers, Azzure IT's approach was "refreshing", he adds. "They are superb and are happy to be as involved as you want them to be. What's more, they have trained us to do tasks so we can be more effective." As for the unexpected benefits, Bracey says they're the outcomes beyond compliance and financial control – all of which were on the radar and have now been achieved. He cites, for example, linking Universal's international sites. "Now, in real time, we can see their stock and plan production from here. That will enable us to respond to customer demand much more effectively, without holding surplus stock. "Manufacturing is all about making the right product at the right time. We will now be able to react much more swiftly to market demand and match our manufacturing capability to that."