At Bex, we invest in our factory tracking systems to make sure everything runs as smoothly as it can. This ensures that our team has time to focus on the things that matter, rather than unnecessary paperwork and processes.
Because we aim to provide an unrivalled level of quality and service to our customers, we’re constantly investing in the latest technology and techniques for our printing and cutting processes to provide the best printed products possible.
Removing needless paperwork
In the past, factory tracking was a largely manual process. Simple computer programmes were used like glorified documents to record the information about an order like the purchase number, quantity and other basic details. There were lots of different systems for different aspects of factory life, and more paperwork than we care to remember.
For the past 13 years, however, we’ve been using a highly sophisticated enterprise resource planning (ERP) software system to track all aspects of the factory, and streamline our processes.
Gone are the days of needless paperwork, as we now handle everything from production planning, scheduling and stock control, to purchasing, invoicing, quality and tracking through one ERP system. It has barcode software built in, meaning our team can log in wherever they are in the factory to view and update any details as needed.
We can tailor make route cards for every individual job that goes through the factory, so every part of an order is tracked and documented. We can pull off reports to see where we are within production and if we are on track for delivery times. Everything is tracked, documented and easily accessible.
All of this means a better, faster and more reliable service for clients.
Consistent customer communication
Not only does the ERP software streamline work in the factory, but it helps us to provide the outstanding level of customer service that we pride ourselves on.
Thanks to the barcode tracking system, when we receive an inquiry from a customer asking us to update them on the order, we can pull up all of their information instantly. This allows us to see where the order is in the factory, and any outstanding work to be done.
We can then get back to the customer swiftly to give them a detailed update on the status of their order, and how long the remaining work should take.
Before, we would have needed to dig out paperwork, and ask the team to provide an update. Now, it’s as simple as a couple of clicks to bring up all of that information.
One complete solution
The ERP system really is a jack of all trades solution for every aspect of the factory. Along with its tracking capabilities, we also use it for purchasing.
It allows us to link the purchase orders from our raw materials and consumables to the customer orders those goods are going to be used on. It gives us complete control for scheduling. Likewise if there are any issues as a product moves through the factory, we can see details right back to the purchase order to identify when any issues may have arisen.
We will soon be updating to an even more sophisticated version of the software that will also allow us to quote on the system. Rather than using a different software for quoting, we’ll bring that onto the same system we use for everything else to streamline further and take away another process.
So there you have it, a brief introduction to our ERP system. Simple, efficient and effective. The way we like things here at Bex.
