CBE+ has commissioned Nottingham-based system provider Exel Computer System plc to implement its EFACS E/8 ERP system across the business. The System successfully went live Monday 1st June – in spite of setbacks triggered by the COVID19 pandemic.
CBE+ is a specialist sub-contractor operating from modern, purpose-built facilities in Chesterfield specialising in CNC machining, Electroless Nickel Plating, Gears and Laboratory services. The group was formed by Cooper Brown Enterprises who invested in four separate businesses to bring integrated supply chains to global markets including Aerospace and Oil and Gas. Implementing a companywide ERP System is part of their continued investment and strategy to unite the group.
Working alongside CBE+, was the system provider Exel Computer System plc. Their EFACS E/8 product is a modern, fully integrated, flexible, browser-based ERP software solution encompassing a broad range of business functions. Offering modules such as Product Management, Change Control, Manufacturing, Production Planning, Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Finance, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), EFACS E/8 offered everything CBE+ required to monitor and control an ever-expanding operation that brings together multiple processes, whilst maintaining full traceability of products, a necessity when supplying the aerospace industry.
Lindsay Atkins, Group production manager explained how the new system would benefit the business day to day, “We are changing systems to increase visibility and support productivity. Our current systems do not give us the planning and flexibility which the business needs therefore requiring more manual input. EFACS will be integrated and will provide real time data.”
Implementation was put at risk by the sudden work and travel restrictions imposed by the Government due to the Coronavirus emergency, with project team members self-isolating or unable to attend meetings in person. In addition, CBE+ experienced a particularly busy time due to their involvement in the Ventilator Challenge, whereby many tens of thousands of parts had to be manufactured within very tight deadlines.
Nevertheless, the team at CBE+ allocated extra days and weekends to continue their work of transferring data, testing functions and making sure the system was ready to go live. The postponement of the ‘go live’ date was minimised, which CBE+ sees as a great achievement considering the challenges the project team faced.
CEO Marie Cooper commented,
“Although we didn’t make our initial target date, we still saw the project through to the end, despite everything happening at once: lockdown measures and the manufacturing of medical devices parts we had never made before. A project of this magnitude must be done right, and under the circumstances, the team performed exceptionally well. We believe EFACS will enable the controls and provide the insights we need to implement our strategy and grow the business in the future”