New ERP system

December 2007 – November 2007 –  On 1 October, De Boer Staal switched to a new ERP system: M-Soft. This software package was developed specially for the steel trade and so it is ideal for De Boer Staal. The new package means that De Boer Staal has an accurate picture of the stocks at any given moment. So the company will be able to operate even more flexibly and provide its clients with optimal service.

Before launching the search for the right ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) supplier, De Boer Staal draw up a detailed package of requirements. A decisive factor in the selection of M-Soft was the extensive expertise of the M-Soft staff. Their knowledge and experience relating to the steel trade and steel processing is explained by the fact that M-Soft N.V. from Overpelt (Belgium) has its roots in the IT department of the Belgian steel trader Metalim. Another important reason for selecting this supplier was that M-Soft was able to provide a modern ERP total solution with limited customised adaptations for both De Boer Staal and De Boer Snijbedrijf. In addition, M-Soft can easily swap data with Microsoft Office applications.Successful implementationThanks to thorough preparation and sound training, implementation passed without any problems worth mentioning. During the preparation phase, the basis was established for the optimal operation of the system: warehouse and product parameters were recorded, client and supplier data were checked, customised options were defined and tests were conducted. During September, M-Soft consultants trained all the users. Finally, in the final weekend of September, all sorts of data and ongoing orders were entered into the system, and we dotted the i's and crossed the t's.Grade A teamworkThe joint efforts of De Boer Staal and M-Soft ensured that the transition was smooth. The benefits of the new system are already clear: a continuous and complete picture of the stocks (material in store, warehouse location, amounts reserved for client orders, amounts ordered from suppliers), immediate changes to stocks records when cutting sheets, profiles and remainder material, faster order entry with the option of printing the product price with or without the processing price, and improved monitoring of order progress with order status overviews. It is still early days and so we expect to use M-Soft in the coming months to make even more improvements to the service for our clients. In short: De Boer Staal and M-Soft: Grade A teamwork!