Customer Stories

RSG Glass. ERP Implementation success story

Background


RSG Products is a glass manufacturer specialising in tough and safety glass for the construction industry. It is part of the Winlite group of companies that also includes Alumex, Ray Color and Winlite. Initially started in 2005 to service Winlite’s customer base, RSG grew to 80 independent customers in its second year of operation. It now manufactures glass products for shower, window, door, staircase and balustrade companies and employs over 40 people.

The Business Need


RSG initially used spreadsheets to manage all its invoicing and production planning, and bought an accounting package early on to automate its financial management. However, RSG soon realised that it also needed manufacturing software to automate and manage its production planning.

The Solution

RSG Products was introduced to HansaWorld in September 2006. At the time RSG ran a system that only handled its invoicing while stock control, purchasing and nominal ledger were done manually. Each operation functioned separately because the system could not run over a wide area network.

“RSG used a custom written package to manage its business” says Alan Nicholson, Unilynx director. He says implementing a home grown system left them a legacy of unresolved performance, reliability, support and functionality issues.

“We were looking for a solution that would provide us with information at a click of a button, easy reporting and an effective tracking system” – Craig Peters, General Manager.

The criteria for a new system included:
- Run multiple operations off a central server, using a WAN and LAN.
- Handle all elements of the operation, including: purchasing, stock control, nominal ledger and very importantly, job costing and production
- Include CRM software elements such as the ability to email and SMS customers directly from the system.
- Provide remote support for users with database and administration queries and problems.

RSG processed up to 600 manual invoices per month, so its first priority was to automate invoicing and stock management using the HansaWorld sales, stock and logistics modules. RSG then decided to include the financials, customer relationship management, quotations and production modules. Manufacturing terminals are currently being implemented on the factory floor as part of RSG’s expansion plan.

The Results

RSG was initially sceptical about HansaWorld. However, General Manager Craig Peters says that after initial training and practice staff members “figured it out quite intuitively”. He adds that the system “is flexible enough to tailor according to our needs.”

“The software save us so much time,” says Peters, who adds that keeping delivery times short is crucial in the glass business. He says managers now have more control over company finances and RSG is able to see the bottom-line figures at any point.

HansaWorld went straight to the heart of the problem with its rich functionality, high performance, rock solid reliability, worldwide support and detailed documentation.”

Next steps

RSG is now planning to implement HansaWorld's bar-coding and tracking software in its factory and warehouse. And, as a result of RSG’s success, HansaWorld will now be rolled out at the other companies within the Winlite group. Alumex, one of the companies in the group, is almost ready to run live. The head office is in Cape Town with an online link to a Johannesburg branch via an ADSL link.

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