Facts at a glance
Get the PDF version of the Boyd Corporation Case Study
Product: Progress 4-GL based ERP, UnForm Document Management and Archiving
Industry: Manufacturing
Country: USA
“It’s an affordable archiving solution that integrates easily with our existing custom-developed Progress 4GL-based ERP business application.” Steve Price, I.T. Manager, Boyd Corporation
About the Company
Boyd Corporation is a global provider of precision-engineered, specialty material-based energy management and sealing solutions with specific expertise in engineering and design, manufacturing and supply chain management.
For more information about Boyd Corporation visit: www.boydcorp.com.
Manufacturing efficiencies
The growth of the number of files stored on different network servers at Boyd’s various regional locations had been an ongoing issue for many years. Inefficiencies, both in storing and accessing files, as well as in the administration of the underlying file systems was starting to cost the organization a great deal of time, making a strong argument for a more centralized approach to document storage and retrieval. A number of the brand name electronic archiving solutions were reviewed. There were three major considerations estimating web application screens, which are integral to Boyd‘s Progress 4GL ERP system.
Payback was immediate and ongoing. The first document archiving project alone eliminated over for a decision: budget, ease of integration with the existing ERP system and an ability to archive PDFs from the ERP print streams without scanning.
SDSI, the developer of Boyd’s existing Print Management software, came out on top with an affordable document management solution that was inside the budget authority of the department, and since it was server based, could be directly integrated into Boyd’s ERP applications with next to no programming.
Keeping track of the process is essential
Boyd is a custom fabricated products manufacturer. Their operations hinge on the ability to accurately estimate, quote and manufacture jobs based on customer-provided specifications, submitted to Boyd in PDF and CAD files.
Now, upon factory completion of an order they can capture all factory notes and markings including: the original quote (with notes), the original copies of the order, the production router, the printed versions of the order picking list and the manufacturing routers are scanned and uploaded using UnForm’s image manager tool. The entire packet of information is then available electronically to the central invoicing clerk, as well as other authorized users.
UnForm supplied an API that easily allowed the addition of web hotlink buttons to the quoting and 1,500 hours per year of clerical labor for an annual savings of $30,000.
ROI is expected to continue now that all documents related to a project are centrally consolidated and easily accessible in any of the ERP applications.