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ERP, MRP, Enterprise Material Requirement Planning Software Solution
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At MVI Solutions, we pride ourselves in our ability to be a true Technology Partner for our customers. Every business is different, so our mission is to provide software that satisfies the unique needs of each customer. We reverse the traditional supplier-customer relationship - we believe our software should match your business operations, not vice versa. Because of the flexibility of the software, it is easy to modify it as your business grows and as improvements are introduced.
This document will provide some information of what our ERP & MRP solutions can do - but remember that in the end, any features that you need can be customized or added to match your business needs. When we start the project, our first step is an in-depth business process mapping to ensure that our ERP and MRP software matches what your business actually does.
MediaVue's ERP and MRP solution is a web-based system. The benefit of this is that all users of the system - managers, employees, vendors, and customers - can have access to it. The system administrator controls the access rights of each user, to ensure that each party can see only data relevant to them.
ERP / MRP Description
Our ERP & MRP software allows you completely manage your manufacturing operations and track customer shipments via an online system that tracks every aspect of your business. Purchasing and scheduling problems are reduced and inventory is kept at optimal levels, all of which enhance profit margins. In addition, the system ties in easily with our CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system and easily integrates with third-party accounting software, allowing systems to be completely integrated.
Our ERP & MRP software features these components:
- Customer and Order Management
- Ingredient List
- Production Schedule
- Inventory Management
- Purchasing Control
- Integration with Accounting Software
- Reporting and Analysis
Customer and Order Management
The customer database keeps track of all customers, including contact information, order history, and bill payment history. Customers who login can view this information and make payments online. Customers can also submit customer service questions into a ticket system, which ensures that queries are automatically routed to the right party in your company.
Customers can also log into the system to place work orders, or orders can be placed for a customer by a salesperson. When an order is placed, the system automatically checks to see if inventory is on hand to complete the order. If inventory is low, the system can advise that the order cannot be fulfilled; or if desired, the system can fulfill the order, but produce a notification that the order will not be completed until a certain day - this day is automatically calculated based on the delivery and production schedules kept elsewhere in the system. This helps to manage customer expectations and give accurate information about when orders will be shipped.
Once an order is approved, the system "reserves" inventory for the order to be sure that it is not used for other purposes (e.g. promised to other customers or committed to other parts of the operation).
Ingredient List
The Ingredient List defines the quantity of each type of raw part that is used in each finished product. This important component allows the system to easily determine the impact of orders on inventory levels and delivery needs.
The product managers can add or delete end products from here, or change the components in each end product. In addition, they can assign appropriate vendors to each part.
The system recognizes various types of items: raw parts (parts ordered from vendors), component parts (parts comprised of raw parts and perhaps other component parts) and end items (finished products comprised of raw parts and component parts) which are ultimately sold to customers.
Production Schedule
The Production Schedule is a time-phased plan for completion of end-items. When new production of any type is contemplated, a preliminary plan can be generated to allow the production manager to see how various production plans will impact inventory, end-product availability, and product ordering needs.
Once a preliminary plan is approved, it becomes part of the master plan. Once production is scheduled into the master plan, inventory is reserved and product availability dates are committed to the system. As production is completed for various end items, the manager updates the system as to the status of the production run (e.g. "100% complete", "x items complete", etc) and reports on any raw material waste, all of which is recorded in the system and flows through to other parts.
The production schedule can be quickly changed in response to real-time data. For example, if there is an "unexpected surprise" - a customer places a large order, or a vendor alerts you that a shipment will be late - the system can automatically notify relevant users of the system and, if necessary, recalculate the production schedule. If an unplanned event cannot be worked around and delays will result, the system can automatically create a list of customers whose orders will be impacted so that they can be notified.
Inventory Management
The Inventory Management system contains current information of the quantities of parts and materials on hand and on order, and the quantity of each type of end product in stock.
Inventory parts can have various types of status - on delivery, in stock, or on loan; committed or uncommitted - depending on sales orders and other aspects in the system.
This part of the system also helps with the automatic generation of orders. There are a number of ways to tackle this problem:
- Individual part monitoring - constantly monitor inventory levels and create recommended orders when a certain part gets below a predetermined level.
- Periodic - For companies that place orders on a regular (weekly, monthly, etc) basis, this system creates a recommended order to replenish inventory.
The system can be made static (e.g. "always make sure we have 100 units of part x") or dynamic based on usage (e.g. "always make sure we have a 4 week supply of every raw part"). The dynamic system helps to automatically project usage based on past sales and allows managers to adjust orders based on anticipated increases or decreases in the upcoming sales.
The Inventory Management system also allows for reconciliation between manual and automated inventory. For example, a company may perform a weekly inventory and enter the results into the system. The system then compares actual inventory vs. expected inventory and creates a report. Managers can use this report to identify potential areas of waste or theft.
Integration with Accounting Software
MediaVue's systems can be easily integrated into popular accounting software packages like QuickBooks. Data can flow in either direction depending on the business needs. In a typical case, most users utilize the web-based MRP system for their daily tasks and the accounting staff utilizes QuickBooks to do billing and other accounting tasks. Once a day, the data is synchronized between the two systems, allowing for tasks like the addition of new customers or the movement of sales orders from the online system to QuickBooks.
Reporting and Analysis
One of the great features of our MRP system is the ability to report on customer purchasing trends - and, if desired, immediately act on the information by sending emails to customers who fit certain profiles. This has a number of potential strategic benefits. Examples of the types of questions that can be answered are:
- Identify all customers who decreased their total ordering by 10% or more last month.
- E-mail a satisfaction survey to all customers who have ordered the newest product in the past quarter.
- Identify all customers in Georgia - alert them to upcoming new product demonstration in Atlanta.
The uses for the data are limited only by the imagination of the system user. Each user has the information at his fingertips and can use it instantly to generate intelligence about customer behavior.
Beyond customer information, almost any other type of report is available online as well. For example, all activity relating to a certain vendor - actual past purchases, recommended orders, etc - can be pulled up into one report.
The reporting module also allows users to generate reports showing all items currently on delivery by vendor, part number, and due date. In addition, it can show the quantities of all parts and components currently in various stages of production.
The reporting module can also allow certain users to view financial analysis. The system stores the costs of vendor raw materials and the value of end products. This allows it to generate reports like "value of all inventory on shop floor", "value of all finished products currently in stock", "cost of all orders that must be made to fulfill current sales orders."
Relevant Sites
Please check these links if you wish to see some components of the software in action:
http://crm.mediavue.net/crm_demo/
http://www.ecommerce-shopping-cart.biz/store/admin/
http://demo.mediavue.net/tickets/
Please email Jeff Douglas at (jeff.Douglas@mediavue.net) for links to other relevant sites.
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