Gemini Prototyping and Manufacturing Ltd

Having used Sage Manufacturing and Sage 50 Accounts for a decade to service its prototyping activity, the expansion of their second manufacturing company prompted a wider review into sourcing a software solution that would better meet its operational needs to include:

• A powerful estimating tool for prototype work – Sage Manufacturing estimating functionality was proving insufficient.
• Multiple companies which is available in Sage 50 but required a second company licence purchase at the time of deployment.
• Multi-site location. This is not available in Sage 50 and Gemini had expanded from one to three sites.
• Mixed mode production to include Shop Floor Data Collection capabilities.
• Gemini also needed a replacement solution that would serve the factory floor. Ideally the new system would be able to provide a list of jobs by department.
• It was imperative that the shop floor, by department could enter time and quality information for supervisor review. This information should then be submitted at shift end to provide real time data for management reporting.  This process also needed to factor in the occasional halting of a job forced by the need of a tool repair or modification.
• As a key supplier to a global auto manufacturing group Gemini needed to be able to provide a precise audit trail on products (including any returns)
• Detailed reporting had become increasingly important as the business continued to grow and now covered multiple sites and varied activities.
• Delivery notes (which were being produced outside of Sage as the capabilities offered did not meet their needs) needed to be seamlessly generated from a central system upon shipping.
• The use of external spreadsheets and the need for repeated data entry was time hungry and open to human error. A replacement solution would need to remove the need for duplicate entry completely.
• Enabling the shop floor to access and provide key information without compromising the security of sensitive information. User profiles and access rights needed to be secure and robust.

In short – Gemini needed an integrated system that would provide visibility and audit trail across both Gemini Prototyping and Gemini Manufacturing fulfilling accounting and operational needs across the two businesses.