New ERP unifies disparate systems, streamlines growth

Phillips Safety Products, a New Jersey-based manufacturer of occupational safety products and prescriptive safety eyewear, was looking to ensure excellent customer service while expanding operations. After updating its IT infrastructure with a new Cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, the company cut costs and improved service levels amid strong growth.

Previously, the business was dependent on two separate, loosely integrated sales and inventory management systems that required duplicate data entry and reporting. In addition to requiring more time to use and maintain, a higher risk of human error could result in delayed orders and customer dissatisfaction.

The company wanted a flexible, open ERP system that would include the functionality of their existing systems and scale up quickly. The new solution (Priority, priority-software.com) replaces the two previous systems while also being flexible enough to easily add products and automate new processes.

“It was clear it had what it takes to pull together our entire workflow, especially tying in our manufacturing with our sales, customer service and inventory,” says Brian Struble, IT architect for Phillips Safety Products.

Struble says the implementation was smooth and system onboarding was quick and easy with a relatively short learning curve for employees. Just one week after going live, Phillips doubled their number of licensed ERP users, which exceeded their expectations.

One of the biggest advantages of the new system is the access to real-time data using the system’s real-time chat communications. Now, sales administration, warehouse and shipping staff use the chat bot to receive real time updates on order status with simple voice commands.

The new ERP system not only reduces the total amount of sales admin required, it also accelerates sales processes. Sales people now have immediate access to real-time inventory information to confirm availability before confirming delivery dates. Sales orders are also now more complete, including custom shipping requirements and product customizations that can be retrieved by scanning a bar code.

Phillips Safety uses an additional ERP feature to compare shipping rates for major carriers including Fedex, DHL, and USPS and customize shipping services. The system supports drop-ship services where products are shipped directly to customers from distributors.