NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 IT IN FOCUS
itself,” says Simon. “It also includes process,
data and people. Even if your ‘system’ is just
an Excel spreadsheet, you still have a process
in place. Most manufacturers will have looked
at QCD with regards to their software, but
not the rest of the system. Map the whole
system out into a matrix of robustness vs
fl exibility, and plot how you consider your
systems (data, people, process, software) to
be functioning. You want to get them all to be
both robust and fl exible.”
The 123insight solution
This is where 123 Insight comes into its own.
The company has ridden out previous crises,
including the 2008 fi nancial downturn,
growing its profi ts every year since 2003. Its
subscription-based model enables users to
fl ex up and down the number of licences as
demand arises.
“You may expect that, during the events
of the past few months, customers would
have been signifi cantly cutting back on their
licence numbers,” Simon commented. “While
it’s true that some have, others have increased
them, and many have turned instead to our
123mobile o ering.”
One such company is Hampshirebased
Butser Rubber, which replaced all
its shopfl oor PCs with individual handheld
tablets running 123mobile. “Instead of
having large groups crowded around one
screen, touching the same mouse and
breaching social distancing, they can now
work individually o a tablet, which can be
sanitised and passed onto the next shift safely.
123mobile also removes the chain of paper
being passed from person to person, making
processes more e cient and streamlined.”
but during the pandemic pivoted to produce safety screens for
use in bars and shops. Such was the success of this, that the
company has since set up an entirely new division.
The fl exibility and robustness of 123insight begins before any
software is installed – or even before a customer registers as a
customer.
“Many people will be thinking ‘isn’t the middle of a pandemic
a bad time to invest in or upgrade our ERP system?’,” says Simon.
“In many ways, they’re right. But 123 Insight is very di erent to
traditional vendors. Ordinarily, a potential customer would look
through a number of potential vendors, meet with them all,
maybe have a demo and then eventually narrow it down to
one. It’s a slow process, and often requires payment up front. It
takes a lot of time out of the business and comes with a lot of
fi nancial risk – once you’ve committed to the implementation
process, you can’t back out.
“With 123 Insight, customers attend one of our free monthly
Evaluation Workshops (which were transformed into fully digital
INFO Exchanges earlier in the pandemic) and attend six days
of no-obligation training before implementing it. Only when
you are satisfi ed that the system will work for your business
do you pay for the training and the subscription you want. It’s
very much a Software as a Service model, where the tables are
turned and the risk to the customer is greatly diminished.”
In these trying times, a robust MRP system is vital. The right
system will allow your business to react rapidly to change while
ensuring that you have the right data to quickly make informed
decisions.
Attendees of 123insight Evaluation Workshops or INFO
Exchange events will receive a free copy of the book How to
implement a manufacturing system.
www.123insight.com
123insight combines
fl exibility and
robustness
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AND A HARD PLACE
Solent-based Tecsew usually manufactures boat covers,
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