Entech Electronics is a South Australian electronic engineering company, offering services such as contract manufacturing and assembly, the design and manufacture of multilayer printed circuit boards and a prototype assembly service. Since 2002, Cogita with Epicor Vantage, has supported that growth.
A long relationship started by the year 2000 bug
The relationship between Entech Electronics and Vantage is long-lived, having commenced in 1999 when Entech was forced to choose between remediation work or the adoption of a new ERP suite.
“We had to put in a new system in July 1999 because of Y2K issues,” recalls Roger Kolodziej, Entech’s human resources (HR) and manufacturing systems manager. “We also had no job modules and used an Access database and Microsoft Excel and Word to generate quotes.”
After examining the market, Entech chose Vantage and selected Bowen & Groves to provide minimal professional services to implement the product, which is now an integral part of the company’s operations. Cogita was introduced to Entech in 2002 when Epicor invited COGITA to become the exclusive partner for Vantage in Australia & New Zealand.
“We have changed some of our processes to the internationally accepted process suggested by Vantage,” Kolodziej says. “We now use sales orders which makes our life a lot easier and can track orders from the quote all the way through to resolution. Previously, we used to search multiple filing cabinets to find this information.”
Other benefits Kolodziej can report include more efficient operations. “Accounts are now on top of things,” he says. “Previously, with 30 shipments a day we transferred information to accounts and then reconciled prior to preparing reports.” That process is now far simpler, as is the process the company uses to track its customers and their requirements.
“It’s a frequent occurrence for customers to keep ordering the same part,” Kolodziej explains. “But there may have been three or four revisions to the part since they last ordered it. Vantage helps us track down what has occurred.” The net result for Entech is that it is able to do more work, more efficiently, without adding to its payroll. That benefit has underpinned the company’s growth.
Offshore manufacturing changes the business model
These benefits for the business have been important and appreciated, but Entech’s business has evolved considerably since 1999. Vantage is still an important part of its business, and has helped the company to evolve and keep pace with change.
“We are becoming more of a trader than a manufacturer,” Kolodziej says. “Australian manufacturing is decreasing and we have supply agreements with China for many of our products.”
But while working with Chinese suppliers is cheaper, it means new pressures for Entech due to longer supply chains and more complicated logistics. Customers, however, buy Entech’s services and promises of hassle-free success.
“Our customers expect that product made in China will be cheaper than made in Australia,” Kolodziej says, regardless of where it sources its products.
Entech has therefore extended its use of Vantage, deploying it alongside Windows Terminal Services to make it available to its Chinese office. By using a single instance of the software in both its China and New Zealand offices, the company has been able to extend its improved controls and processes to those offices, without needing to add infrastructure on the ground. Vantage’s ability to operate in this fashion has therefore made it possible for the company to expand without adding additional IT costs to its operations.
On to America
Vantage will now be used as the company moves into the USA, where a new office in Silicon Valley is expected to fuel further growth. “We have ambitious plans for the new office in Santa Clara, and believe our commitment to customer service, quality manufacturing processes, and our direct access to the world’s best pricing, will secure new accounts in that region,” says Rob Norton, the company’s director of marketing and technical services, who will head the new office.
“With the product offerings, the support of world class engineering services and our capabilities in global manufacturing, sourcing and logistics, we are confident of contributing to the growth of Entech.” Many of those capabilities are, of course, delivered by Vantage, which will once again be used in the new office to connect it with the company’s engineering talent and back office staff in Adelaide.
To ensure that Entech remains on the cutting edge of its field, the company now plans an upgrade of its Vantage applications to help all of the company’s offices continue the success and growth it has long enjoyed.
“Our key people in finance, operations and IT all believe we need to upgrade to version 8.03 400 to move forward. A lot more users want to use it and there is pressure on us to put it in and adopt new practises,” Kolodziej says. He is, however, far from reluctant to make the move. “We have no enthusiasm to look at any other product. We want to make use of the whole thing.”
“We like the look of the perspectives on customisations and interaction plus the.NET product and the fact Vantage pages now look like the Outlook page.” Kolodziej also says that he expects the company to make use of the new email alerts feature, and imagines becoming “big users of the business process manager.”