Need to integrate sales, engineering and quality control
K&L Microwave has been using ERP software from IFS since 2002. Phil Shields, business systems analyst recalls, “Our previous system, a textbased solution, was so heavily customized that it had become much too difficult to upgrade and was difficult to navigate. More importantly, however, the company had outgrown the system. We were entering a phase of major growth, which included the establishment of offshore sites, so we needed a business software solution that would enable this expansion.”
Complete ERP suite and industry specific applications in one solution
K&L Microwave chose IFS mainly because IFS Applications provided an extensive array of enterprise applications, coupled with key industryspecific functionality, such as document control, integrated engineering and dynamic order processing. In 2007 the company added sales & marketing functionality from IFS to integrate sales, engineering and quality department activities.
More accurate metrics
One of the major benefits delivered by IFS Applications is easier, faster access to better metrics. “Metrics drive our business,” Shields explains. “We need to measure the efficiency of a range of processes from purchasing through engineering all the way to shipping. I was amazed at the amount of information the solution allowed us to extract on any given metric.” In addition, cycle times for engineering processes have become shorter—and measurable. In the old system, that would not have been possible. IFS Applications also lightens the added workload that government regulations entail. With legislation like Sarbanes-Oxley demanding greater transparency throughout corporate processes, the fact that document management is integrated into IFS Applications means that audit trails and proof of approval, for example, are much easier to obtain. “Our auditors love it,” adds Shields. Another positive feature is the ability to tie part numbers, estimates and opportunities to specific government programs. Considering the amount of work K&L Microwave does for the US Department of Defense, this is critical functionality. Shields comments, “It was easy to add fields and tables to the various tabs in the sales & marketing tool to satisfy our requirements. The IFS Workshop Tool Kit is easy to use and very powerful.” The Notes section permits updates and supporting information to be entered directly into the application, instead of being sent via e-mail. Once entered, the data can be readily accessed by more people.
CRM software improved quoting
Much of K&L Microwave’s success in securing business lies in its ability to quickly turn around quotes, preferably within 48 hours. Shields again, “The CRM software from IFS helps us decrease the turnaround time for any task or project involved in finalizing a quote. We can quickly see how much engineering activity a particular engineering group is assigned at any given time and can balance quotes against other engineering work. In fact, we can see workloads down to a specific engineer. Faster, more accurate quoting makes for better pricing, and ultimately, better customer service.” Visibility across the company’s sales and quoting processes means that existing information about customers and government programs can be used to leverage engineering time spent in one project to pursue new business with similar specifications, even—in the case of government programs—if the prime contractor changes. Knowing in detail what parts are being supplied to a program, and their value, makes it much easier to arrive at correct business decisions.
Good fit with Microsoft Office software
The open architecture behind IFS’ component-based enterprise applications makes them easy to integrate with other enterprise software, such as Microsoft Office products. For example, e-mails can be dropped into the IFS Sales & Marketing component for analysis and from there exported to spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel®. “We have monthly meetings for sales and operations planning, which are greatly facilitated thanks to the combined strengths of IFS and Microsoft functionality,” explains Shields. “We can generate reports and summarize the data in pivot tables, which are constantly updated as loading and scheduling adjustments are made. They can then be stored in the business application to provide snapshot views of the current situation. This is also useful for monitoring and fine-tuning order shipments.” E-mail content can also be fed into the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) component to become part of the data on customers and facilitate future efficiency in the relationship. The benefits are not just top floor. Shields concludes, “Our end-users find it very easy to find information in the application and can extract it faster.”
About K&L Microwave
Founded in 1970, K&L Microwave manufactures custom filters primarily for the military sector. Today, with facilities in the United States, China, the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom, K&L Microwave is the industry’s premier filter supplier for both military and commercial markets. Over 420 employees, consisting of engineering, sales and marketing, manufacturing and support personnel, represent the primary work force. K&L Microwave is a subsidiary of Dover Corporation, a $7 billion Fortune 400 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company is ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 certified and offers customers the most extensive range of filterbased products available, spanning from 0.3MHz to 94GHz.
Benefits
- Faster, more accurate quotes
- Integrated sales, engineering and quality assurance processes
- Greater visibility throughout the company
- Smooth integration with Microsoft® Office® software
- More accurate, transparent planning
- Easier compliance with government regulations
- Better overview of order accuracy
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