Automatic Feed and Encompix ETO ERP Profiled in American Machinist

Automatic Feed Co., a manufacturer of coil handling and press feeding automation systems in Napoleon, Ohio, is an engineer-to-order company that has special integration requirements. The company needed to increase efficiency and reduce costs because its existing manufacturing system lacked advanced integration capabilities. "We wanted to better integrate our CAD system with the bill-of-materials and integrate our sales quoting with our costing and supporting processes," explains Nathan Weaks, AFC treasurer, "We needed to make information about the best manufacturing times that we've done on a job more accessible to the team member involved in making the equipment."

AFC also wanted to integrate its QS9000 quality system with the manufacturing system, integrate project management and scheduling to enable tracking and reporting progress on each project, and improve human resources record keeping. This had to be accomplished in six months.

AFC chose Encompix Inc. (www.encompix.com) to supply ERP software and services. "Encompix is set up to handle most of the issues that machine tool companies face," says Weaks, "However, we are different from other machine tool makers in that our average project is in the range of $3 million to $5 million with thousands of parts manufactured for any given machine. The Encompix team quickly understood that we were not typical, and they were able to accommodate our unique requirements on time and on budget." Since its implementation, the Encompix system has produced a 20-percent cost reduction and a 30-percent reduction in cycle time.

According to Thomas R. Cutler, spokesperson for the ETO Institute (www.etoinstitute.org), “Encompix continues to capture significant marketshare in the ETO environment because few other ERP vendors truly understand the nuances and significant distinctions of the ETO process versus the repetitive manufacturing process.  Encompix now has more than 300 of the leading ETO manufacturing firms in North America using their ERP Software solution.”

Encompix (www.encompix.com) has filled the manufacturing software requirements of Engineer-to-Order companies since 1992. The company name reflects the commitment to developing business application solutions that encompass the complex areas of project-based and job-based manufacturing.  Encompix provides ETO manufacturers with a competitive advantage by improving bottom line results.

Encompix

www.encompix.com

Roger Meloy

rmeloy@encompix.com

513-733-0066