Mumbai-based Thirdware Solution Limited, an e-business solution provider catering to enterprise application solution needs, recently completed the first phase of its ERP implementation project for Bell Ceramics, one of India’s leading tile manufacturers. Says Pradeep Erinjery, chairman, Thirdware Solution Limited, “Bell Ceramics did a study with Universal Consultants, a management consultancy which chalked out the entire IT policy for the former. During the course of this study, the company realised that there was a gap between the time taken to move information and actual action taken on the same. In an effort to tackle this problem, the company decided to implement QAD’s MFG/PRO solution. The first phase consisted of implementing the distribution side of the system, ensuring that the C&F offices, warehouses, marketing offices and corporate offices were connected. We first implemented a pilot at the warehouse and C&F and later extended it to the rest of the company in a phased manner.”

Erinjery points out that for Bell Ceramics, the single most important criterion when implementing MFG/PRO was uniformity whether the same solution could be run at the warehouse, head office and C&F offices. In addition to this, there were other concerns such as scalability, simplicity as to whether the solution could be run using a simple technology such as e-mail and the time taken for implementation. He adds, “We assured them that we could complete the first phase in four months and we delivered on that promise. We were able to get the company’s two warehouses to run the system and also connect the C&Fs to them. We also implemented the payroll and marketing module of MFG/PRO, so that the marketing team has a clear idea of what were the actual sales, budgeted sales and areas which need to be targeted specifically.”

Commenting on the benefits of the system, Erinjery points out that the company has achieved greater data accuracy and consistency of information. Further, it has gone in for a distributed approach, enabling remote locations to operate the system on PCs, with information transmitted to the head office via e-mail. Again since e-mail is used as the medium of transferring information from C&Fs in remote locations, it has helped Bell achieve greater economies of scale.

The company is now in the process of rolling out the solution across other locations and is looking to simplify the solution further.