Increased Efficiency Needed
"Prior to implementing Epicor CMS software, we were running Accpac for our financials, but most of the processes were manual," explains Kevin Rosairo, IT manager at Par-Pak. "We were struggling with disparate systems, and too
much time wasted on manual processes. All of our scheduling was done on Excel spreadsheets, and we had no costing system to speak of. The old systems could no longer support the business, and were hindering the future growth of the company."
Selection of CMS
"We chose Epicor because of the flexibility of the Epicor CMS software. We liked that Epicor had offices globally, including an office right here in the Toronto area. Other key factors in the decision were the efficient materials requirements planning (MRP) and event-based production reporting," says Rosairo. "With event-based reporting, we can now tell exactly what is being produced, and what the production status is, on each machine on our shop floor."
Expansion in the UK
Par-Pak has been utilizing the CMS software in North America since the original go-live in 1994, and more recently implemented the full Epicor CMS system in their UK operations. "The full installation in our UK operation was quite quick. The Epicor CMS system with order entry, inventory, purchasing, production control, production planning, forecasting, material requirements planning, scheduling, and shipping modules was up and running within a couple of months. The financial system had already been transferred to Epicor CMS prior to the main implementation," says Rosairo. "Our UK operation is also using the graphical scheduling tools and Bills of Materials analysis tools Epicor CMS provides. Requisitions for material purchases are automatically generated by the MRP functions within Epicor CMS. We are also implementing COGNOS Business Intelligence tools for reporting and dashboards."
Epicor and CMS Impress
Par-Pak's North American locations are currently running on three separate databases, on one single server. "Having previously worked for an enterprise software vendor, and now working with the system as an end user, I have seen both sides of the situation. Since I started with Par-Pak, we've been very happy with the support Epicor provides, and with how easy it is for us to reach customer support," says Rosairo. "We can log issues via the internet, phone, or e-mail, and Epicor can log right into our system to troubleshoot issues, if needed. We can also download upgrade patches automatically.
Now we don't need a large IT department to support our business software, Epicor CMS has turned out to be very easy to support." Some of the material handling functionality within Epicor CMS has impressed the most. "By using the material resource planning functionality in Epicor CMS, the software tells us what we have to order, and when. We also have full visibility and traceability into all of our production. We can tell exactly what roll and what sheet a finished product came from," says Rosario. "We are also extensively utilizing the EDI functions of Epicor CMS, and now receive purchase orders from our customers electronically. We also send order acknowledgements, Advance Shipping Notices, and invoices to customers via EDI. The electronic transactions are saving us a lot of time as the information is automatically passed between our Epicor CMS system, and the systems at our customer sites."
Continued Success
Today, Par-Pak is a global supplier of thermoformed packaging, employing over 400 employees. The Epicor CMS software from Epicor has allowed Par-Pak to grow their business, and has supported the international expansion at Par-Pak. "We have really been able to take advantage of the Epicor CMS software, and have been growing and maturing at the same pace with Epicor. The partnership between the companies has been great, and we look forward to bringing more of the new functionality to our operations in Canada, USA and the UK," concludes Rosairo.