Sapa working with Vision Solutions

1. Sapa working with Vision Solutions

2. The Sapa Group • Develops, manufactures and markets value-added profiles, profile-based building systems and heat exchanger strip in the light-weight material aluminium. • Our Group's business concept is built on close cooperation with our customers • Presence in Europe, North America, Central America and Asia • A turnover of 5 billion USD and 15,000 employees. 

3. Sapa in the UK • Sapa Profiles Ltd – extrudes Aluminium Profiles with sites in Tibshelf, Derbyshire and Cheltenham, Gloucestershire • Sapa Building Systems Ltd – design and manufactures Door and Window Systems with 3 sites in Gloucestershire • Relationship between the companies – • Sapa Profiles is Sapa Building Systems’ biggest supplier • Sapa Building Systems is Sapa Profiles’ largest customer

4. UK Data Centre • Based in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire • MPLS WAN • Provides and supports the IT infrastructure for the 5 Sapa UK sites 24/7 • 253 Users in Movex • 329 Users in the Network • Supporting Movex, Citrix, Exchange, Streamserve, Office etc • Staffed by myself and 3

5. Movex • First implementation in 2002 • 3 Phases • Sapa Building Systems • Sapa Profiles Cheltenham site • Sapa Profiles Tibshelf site • Setup as 1 company with two divisions • COM, MPM, FAM and SMS implemented • Profiles: • Lots of Mods • Make to order only • Building Systems • 3 Mods • Make to order, Stocked • Both divisions using Configurator and Family Items • Webshop – an early version of eSales

6. Issues • Housekeeping – not a concept users related to. • Sapa Profiles allowed to deliver 10% above or below Order Quantity therefore order lines never closed • Reports taking too long to run – how do you select only outstanding orders? • Screens cluttered • Response times degraded • Additional Files for the Mods – but very little documentation and no housekeeping routines • No Archiving process from Lawson (then Intentia) • The only solution appeared to be a new machine

7. How did we find Vision Solutions • Early 2005 we attended an MUA meeting at Bostik, where Vision Solution presented Data Manager • Simple Concept of Selecting, Copy, View then Archiving • Selecting – different requirements for each division, and some cases different by process • Copy “but don’t purge” – taking away the fear from users that the transactions “have gone forever”. Viewable before any actual archiving • View – users can validate the Archive before it actually happens • Archiving – viewable via Explorer – just different company One problem not tried and tested in a Make to Order environment – so the challenge was set. • At that time Director was an added bonus

8. The Journey • Early September 2005 – first proof of concept • Did not work, could not differentiate between MO, DO,CO and PO using Ref Order Category • December 2005 – they were NOT giving up • It worked – new functionality with Advanced Filters • Order placed and installed in 2006 • Trained in Data Manager and Director • Simple and easy to use • Just installed version 7.1

9. Results from Director and Data Manager • 30% reduction in Storage – 1st time Director was used • File maintenance previously taking hours now takes minutes. • Planned maintenance actually happens. • Housekeeping improved – weekly measures in place • Greater focus • Greater focus understanding of the data integrity by the users.

10. Future Plans • Sapa Building Systems plan to step up to M3 first. • Sapa Profiles currently have too many mods in place to make this cost effective. Therefore need to divide the company into two separate databases – using Data Manager it will be easy – controlled and validated by the Key Users.