Vishay Spectrol Ltd
Industry :
Electronic Component Manufacturing
Scenarios : Replacing Tetra system with
Microsoft Business Solutions-Navision Edition provides Vishay Spectrol with
significant efficiency increases.
Introduction
Vishay Spectrol is a subsidiary of Vishay, a Fortune
1,000 company employing 20,000 people in 70 countries. The group
manufacturers the broadest range of discrete electronic components in the
industry and is a market leader in many sectors.
The Swindon based operation specialises in the manufacturing and
distribution of trimmers, precision potentiometers and transducers. The
company operated with a variety of administration processes consisting of
manual and electronic systems. These included financial and manufacturing,
stock management, sales forecasting and returns systems. The main issue
facing the company was the hidden costs of maintaining a variety of
disparate systems. The key requirement was a solution that provided a flow
of information across the company about what was really happening to their
customers and inventory. The target was to ensure that the selected system
supported all operations in ensuring timely deliveries of quality products.
Working with Cambridge based Anglia Business Solutions the company deployed
a state of the art system tailored specifically to meet the needs of the
business. A totally integrated Microsoft Navision manufacturing solution
provided the base for a powerful management information solution. It
provided the company with improved access to up to date information and
assisted in greatly reducing the current administrative workload. The system
has helped to radically improve the company’s efficiency by reducing much of
the previously unproductive data duplication tasks while providing instant
information on significant business trends.
The Selection Process
The company needed a flexible, powerful, modern company
wide business management system capable of meeting its very specific
requirements. Apart from the normal financial and manufacturing reporting
requirements, the system also had to cater for a number of applications
specifically configured to how the company worked.
Much of the company’s manufacturing was carried out abroad and the Head
Office in Sunderland carried out all of the financial management tasks of
the operation. The new system therefore had to facilitate the needs of the
Swindon operation, the financial reporting requirements of Headquarters and
the management of the outsourced sub contractor workload.
The Business Solution
Vishay Spectrol selected the Microsoft Navision ERP system as the platform
of choice based on its combination of powerful functionality and integrated
development facilities.
As General Manager, Vic Slawinski explained, “We were very impressed with
the standard functionality of the Microsoft Navision product. However, it
was the ability to change it to how we wanted to work that really appealed.
We spent a long time being restricted by the inflexibility of a standard
package. We did not want to be in a similar position in future as the
company expanded.
We were also influenced by the in-depth Microsoft Navision knowledge and
consultancy skills provided by Anglia Business Solutions. It was obvious
that they quickly got to grips with what we were trying to do and could
advise us on the best way to achieve our objectives.
Anglia Business Solutions worked well with us to produce a solution that was
right for our business. The initial Solution Model mapped how the complete
system would work for us. From this analysis, they developed working
prototypes that we were able to test to ensure that our business objectives
were met. The complete solution was fully tested using data transferred from
our old Tetra system. Once we were satisfied that we had covered all of the
requirements, we went live. We encountered a few problems during the
transition but the support from Anglia has been invaluable in enabling us to
resolve the issues and get the most out of the system.”
The new solution has enabled Vishay to take advantage of new ways of
working.
Business Benefits
The new management reporting system has already provided Vishay Spectrol
with significant advantages over the previous method of operation. It has
greatly reduced the data duplication activities throughout the organisation,
which has improved the accuracy of information. As Vic Slawinski explains
“Our previous variety of systems was a real stumbling block to our growth
plans. It meant that we had great difficulty in ensuring that our inventory
was at the right levels to meet our client delivery commitments”.
Microsoft Navision replaces the use of the Tetra Chameleon 2000 system for
General, Sales and Purchase ledgers. It is anticipated that Microsoft
Navision will be used to control the complete Finance System in the long
term. Microsoft Navision Sales & Receivables module will streamline all
Credit Control functions including, Sales Journals, overdue payment
reminders and batch transaction processing.
A major benefit of the Microsoft Navision solution is the automatic quote
generation and tracking facility. Accepted quotations can now automatically
be transferred into Sales Order Processing, previously data was manually
re-entered onto the system.
Planning & Manufacturing within Vishay was previously achieved using mainly
manual procedures, which relied heavily on the accuracy and knowledge of
personnel involved. This task was complicated further by the subcontracting
of a high level of its production to Slovakia. Microsoft Navision has
provided significant benefits in this area, particularly inventory control,
Bills of Materials and Materials Requirement Planning in multiple locations.
Vic Slawinski continues, “Working with Anglia Business Solutions in a
partnership arrangement meant that we could explain what we wanted and they
did the rest. The complete system was delivered to timescales and within
budget. It has exceeded our expectations and is already proving to be a
significant aid to our expansion plans.
Software & Hardware
Microsoft Business Solutions-Navision
Services Required
Microsoft Navision Solution Model
Project Management
Business Consultancy
Microsoft Navision Bespoke Design
Microsoft Navision Programming & Testing
Microsoft Navision Manufacturing Integration & Testing