While moving facilities and trying to orient in the pandemic, UK hi-tech server manufacturer Exacta Technologies found resources to implement a new ERP system, all on their own. https://manufacturing-software-blog.mrpeasy.com/case.../ #casestudy #manufacturing #erpimplementation #erp #erpsoftware #erpsystem #erpsystemimplementation #exactatechnologies #mrpimplementation #mrpsoftware #mrpsystem #hightech #servers #MRPeasy

1. CASE STUDY: HOW EXACTA
TECHNOLOGIES IMPROVED
PRODUCTIVITY WITH MRPEASY

2. While moving facilities and trying to orient in the pandemic, UK hi-tech server
manufacturer Exacta Technologies found resources to implement a new ERP
system, all on their own.

3. Exacta Technologies is a computer hardware company that specializes in designing,
configuring, and manufacturing bespoke, high-performance computer servers and
workstations. Founded in 2001, the UK-based company started out by producing tailored
platforms for software providers, allowing those companies to offer hardware along with
their software that would ensure the best possible user experience.
Today, Exacta Technologies and its three subsidiaries – Platform, Blackcore, and Proline –
produce bespoke hardware platforms, servers, and workstations for clients that need high-
performance computing, bringing in 8 million pounds in yearly revenue and providing
employment to 25 people.
About Exacta Technologies

4. Growth in recent years made the company think about switching from a lower-end package
of Sage software to another system that would provide more functionality than merely
accounting and inventory management.
“Sage was fairly limited in that it did not have the capacity for production scheduling – so to
that end, we used Microsoft Excel,” says Chris Landen, Operations Manager at Exacta
Technologies. “The manual data inputs obviously made the system prone to mistakes and
we knew it was not scalable, finally we felt that we had reached a limit. We wanted to move
to the next level, automate workflows, better manage our orders, and basically bolster up
our whole operation.”
Moving up from Sage

5. After deciding to make a change in the summer of 2019, the company quickly centered in
on Xero, much thanks to its great approach to data presentation. Swapping Sage for just
Xero felt like a step back, however, because Xero lacked even the basic functionalities for
inventory management that Sage had provided, neither did it offer any manufacturing
management features that Exacta needed, such as BOMs, production planning, scheduling,
reporting, subcontracting, etc.
“It would not have made sense from the operational point of view,” says Landen. “So we also
considered upgrading to a more advanced version of Sage. But the integrations Xero
offered really turned the tide.”

6. From an array of Xero apps – third-party software integrated with the accounting module – four
manufacturing suites initially made it to the shortlist: Unleashed, Katana, Fishbowl, and MRPeasy.
“We knew we were not operating at a level that would have made us consider SYSPRO or SAP,” Landen
affirms. “One of the biggest requirements we had was that the system should be easy to use.”
After going through a lot of trials and testing, Unleashed and MRPeasy remained as the two final
contenders. Finally, after five months of looking into different systems and analyzing them, Exacta
Technologies decided to give the green light to the implementation of MRPeasy.
“MRPeasy won because of its excellent balance of user-friendliness and the reams of functionality
expected from much larger systems,” Landen explains. “Plus, as we were looking to eliminate
spreadsheets, the production scheduling capability of MRPeasy was also a deciding factor.”
Finding the best Xero integration

7. Even though the decision to take MRPeasy into use was made in December 2019, the
implementation process did not start until March next year due to the company moving
into a new, modern production facility during the first months of 2020. Come springtime,
the Exacta team started practicing on the new system to find and resolve issues that would
come up in the process.
“Moving on to a new system was a daunting task at first, due to the complex nature of our
business: we’re dealing, for example, with a vast array of BOMs – including Matrix BOMs –
and subcontracting,” Landen remembers. “We wanted to make sure the system – and the
company – was ready for implementation.”
Implementation made easier with support
materials

8. For learning the ropes, Landen finds there is no better way than getting familiar with the online
support documents and videos MRPeasy has made available on their website.
“One of the greatest things about this system is the support materials,” he says. “Whenever we
have an issue, we can be sure that by giving ourselves some time to get accustomed to the
software and the instructions, we will find a solution. The help files really do help. Everything is
self-serviceable. The documentation is clear, concise, and knowledge-based, so anyone could
come up with solutions by themselves. The personal support is an added value, a backup plan.”

9. The implementation team initially spent two months studying the system, then in May they
began putting in the data, and on June 1 the system was finally launched. At first, Exacta
utilized only the core functionalities of MRPeasy and went through a transitional period
during which they stacked on functionality after functionality.
“We still have some aspects to figure out and improve, but the whole process has been
remarkably smooth,” says Landen. “We basically find a use for every functionality MRPeasy
has to offer, so we have opted for the Enterprise account. But we are also planning to
upgrade even further in order to get access to the API feature.”
Finding a use for every functionality

10. It is difficult for Landen to accurately gauge the improvements MRPeasy has brought into
the company because they simply did not have much to compare the new data with. He
emphasizes, however, that more important than the numbers is that they now have the
tools to make improvements, to analyze and streamline their processes.
“Since we started to use worker reports, we have accumulated data from the shop floor that
gives us more visibility into production,” Landen explains. “With Sage and Excel it was very
difficult to get accurate reports like those – now we can process the information much
quicker and get insight into the efficiency of our workers.”
Positive feedback from customers,
suppliers, and employees

11. Even though there may not be many numbers to back up his claims, Landen knows that
things have improved as the company has gotten positive feedback from customers,
suppliers, and workers.
“We are now able to give more accurate information on prices and delivery times to
customers, our clients prefer the new, cleaner quoting system,” Landen details. “Account
managers have more visibility into the state of customer relationships. Vendor performance
is improving as we are able to expedite purchasing processes and plan supplies in a more
efficient manner. All these improvements are passed on to the customer and reflected back
to us.”

12. Asked whether he would like to recommend anything to manufacturers that are planning to
start using ERP software, or thinking about swapping their old system for another, Landen
has this to say:
“You have to accept that implementing a new system is a complex process that requires real,
concentrated effort. You have to be ready to sacrifice many hours to work on it, to become
an expert user. If you want the implementation process to be quicker and smoother, you
could try using the help of consultants, but implementing MRPeasy is absolutely doable
without any external help. We would recommend MRPeasy to anybody. It’s powerful,
reasonably priced, easy to learn and use. And I can’t really overstate the helpfulness of the
support documents.”
Article first published in Zenoot.com
Recommendations to other manufacturers

14. https://manufacturing-software-blog.mrpeasy.com/case-study-mrpeasy-
exacta-technologies/
https://www.mrpeasy.com/