"THANKS TO MICROSOFT DYNAMICS AX WE CAN REACT FAST:

when it comes to new requirements we can modify the parameters and settings by ourselves. Thus we need our software partner only in exceptional cases."

FACTS IN SHORT:

• Country: Germany
• Solution: Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009
• Sector: Production and Processing Industry
• Employees: 160
• Number of PCs: 50

BEKUPLAST GMBH

manufactures plastic containers for industries, commerce and logistics - to some extent also in a customized design.

IN ORDER TO MOVE FISH, MEAT, FLOWERS OR BULK GOODS

along the value chain, special containers are inevitable - after all, the products should not unnecessarily suffer from transportation. The reusable containers of bekuplast GmbH are notably environment-friendly. "Very often, our products are in use over a period of many years. They are easy to wash off and, at the end of their life time, they are recycled," emphasizes Norbert Michalik, authorized representative at bekuplast. Since the requirements on components, frozen foods or plants are extremely varied, bekuplast keeps innumerous standard containers. Furthermore the plastic processor develops customized products for the industry and commerce. Being the supplier of various sectors, bekuplast is less prone to fluctuations in economic activities. The 26 injection molding machines in Ringe (Lower Saxony) ensure a fluent production. Other sites you will find in Poland, the Netherlands and in the Franconian Crock (Germany).
160 employees manufacture about 12 to 15 million carriers each year. About 40 trucks are dispatched every day. The sales department operates internationally. The focus, however, lies on the German and Dutch market. In 2009 bekuplast has generated a turnover of 38 million Euro.

REQUIREMENTS

For a long time, bekuplast has worked with business solution software for plastic manufacturers - until the day when the developer, a small software house, terminated its service. In order to secure business activities in the long term, bekuplast decided to change the system at the end of 2006. Over the next months, a range of different solutions were analyzed. "We took a look at business solution software as well as ERP-systems. Finally, we came to the conclusions that only a big-sized provider can ensure the necessary future prove of investment", Michalik explains. In spring 2008 Microsoft Dynamics AX prevailed, amongst others, over solutions by SAP. The decisive factor was the flexibility of the program structure. "We work with established production processes. This was supposed to be continued even after having changed the software", underlines Josef Westhuis, CIO at bekuplast GmbH. "Moreover, being a contract manufacturer we adapt to the requests of our customers - and the demands of the markets are hig. ."
Based on this background it is essential that the software can be customized without great effort. "For our company size, SAP didn't have the suitable solution and the adaptability was significantly lower than for Dynamics AX," Westhuis says. The contract for the implementation was awarded to the Microsoft-partner ORDAT - Corporation for Organization and Data Processing.

A smooth implementation at all sites

"The major part of requirements at Hanomag was already covered in the standard function range of Microsoft Dynamics™ AX“, says Nils Haggenmüller, project responsible at ORDAT. 
„The specialties of a toll manufacturer, however, required adjustments in the subsystem Production.“ Due to this reason, ORDAT implemented the respective business transactions in the field of Production. Thus, a production order is only started when goods arrive, then – after the processing of the provided parts– the customer order will be generated in order to create one delivery note and one invoice at the end. Nils Haggenmüller: "with a standard ERP system it would not have been possible. Thanks to the high flexibility of Microsoft Dynamics™ AX the adjustments could be realized without any problems.“

In a further step ORDAT programmed the interface to the technical system for the oven control as well as an interface to the CAQ system. After the preparatory work the introduction project started in the company headquarter in Hannover in 2009 with the implementation of a test system. Next to the subsystem "Production“, also the modules Supply Chain Management (SCM), Intercompany, Warehouse and CRM were implemented. Also the ORDAT-owned Add-on „Electronic Banking“ was installed. "Electronic Banking“ is completely integrated into Microsoft and enables a largely automized, daily processing of the movements on the different bank accounts of the company as well as an automatic transfer of account statements into journals.
Six months later, with the beginning of the business year 2010 the company started the productive run of the system. 

Karsten Seehafer: "During the implementation it paid off having had ORDAT as an implementation partner with a broad business know-how and a longtime experience in the introduction of ERP systems.“

Non-stop mapping of business transactions

 With the introduction of the company-wide complete solution and the intergation of goods receipts and disbursements, quality assurance, production planning and control as well as accounting, Hanomag reached a global transparency over the whole value-added chain. "Compared to former times, when processes were still partly mapped in Excel lists, this is a huge step“, evaluated Bernd Horle, CIO at Hanomag.
Also the compliance to delivery schedules could be distinctively improved. "The integrated IT based on Microsoft Dynamics™ AX is an important, technical factor of success for Hanomag,“ says Bernd Horle. With the launch of Microsoft Dynamics™ AX and thanks to the continuous control of business transactions, the lead time could be reduced drastically. The plants work better to capacity and a flexible order processing as well as the fast realization of customer-specific requirements are possible.
Hanomag could gain cost transparency by a new price administration because since the implementation of the new system it is, for the first time, possible to determine the real costs for each thermal process. If in earlier times there was one price for each order which was based on estimated consumption for the commisioned services, today, the actual consumption figures for energy and water are included into the price administration.

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In a next step a control system and a planning table solution in Microsoft Dynamics™ AX is supposed to be integrated. This way, the capacity of the hardening ovens shall be further optimized with the help of an improved, cleared capacity planning by, eg, automatically including preparation times and temperatures which are necessary for the different treatment procedures into the planning.