It was the solution’s proven track record and comprehensive functionalities for the engineering industry which prompted the investment, says Johann de Lange, Chief Financial Officer, Weir Warman Africa. The company’s Isando site has been running on Infor ERP Baan IVc4, from Softworx, for almost 12 years.

“The Alrode site, however, has been working off a system which poses several challenges and is, as a result, no longer meeting our business requirements. Apart from being cumbersome to use, the system lacks a proper internal control environment. We recognised that if we were to operate as a single face to our customers, we needed to upgrade to an improved ERP solution that could support our commitment to lean manufacturing practices which ensure process efficiency and repeatability.”

Jane Thomson, MD of Softworx, says Infor ERP Baan IV provides core manufacturing and planning functionality on a scalable, multi-language, open-systems platform. It also provides flexible business operations support across all departments, including finance. As the solution is anchored on Infor's “enrich, extend, and evolve” product strategy and Infor Open SOA (service-oriented architecture), Weir Warman Africa can expect Infor to make an ongoing investment in the business-specific capabilities they need to meet their diverse and ever-changing business challenges.

De Lange concludes that while the company expects to reap numerous benefits from this advanced ERP solution, he predicts the single biggest benefit will be to their customers. “Firmer internal controls and process integration driven by the fact that we will be operating off a system based on best practices, will enable us to produce the right products at the right time, and to greatly improve service levels through our wider branch network. Through the use of this comprehensive ERP system, Weir Warman will be well positioned for positive future growth.”