How is ProConcept ERP supporting Swiza's growth?
Specialising in the manufacture of mechanical clocks, Swiza was founded in 1904 and develops and markets the Swiza, Epee 1839 and Mathew Norman brands. With a staff of around one hundred, its clocks are marketed under several brands and in a variety of themes. They can have between 400 and 900 components, with fully integrated manufacturing carried out by Swiza. In 2016, this led them to question their information system, and in particular the ERP, which was reaching its limits in terms of production. Thierry Siebenborn, who works on process improvement and optimisation at Swiza, gives us his feedback on the research and implementation of this new tool at Swiza.
Severe production constraints
In 2016, the decision was made. For Swiza, it was essential to change ERP systems to meet its specific production requirements. "We manage a lot of components with 9 levels of bill of materials. Until 2016, we were working with a trade-oriented ERP that only managed 2 levels of bill of materials. It no longer met our production or growth requirements. After a pre-selection of 3 tools, we quickly decided on ERP from ProConcept" explains Thierry Siebenborn.
There are 3 main reasons for this decision. The first, and the most important, is the functional potential offered by the production module of the ProConcept ERP, the second is the durability and reputation of ProConcept in the Swiss market, and the third is the relationship that has always existed between Swiza and ProConcept teams.
ProConcept ERP, the chameleon ERP
The deployment of the ERP is on schedule and users are getting to grips with the tool very quickly. « We had drawn up procedures for using the tool. But its intuitiveness means that it has very quickly become part of the everyday lives of the users. For me, ProConcept is a « chameleon ERP », meaning that it can adapt perfectly to our needs and help us manage our priorities. » Thierry Siebenborn illustrates his comments with concrete examples, deployed at Swiza at production level and : « We have been able to implement a Make or Buy module to define production or parts purchasing strategies. In terms of production, this has enabled us to improve our equipment queues, and even to consider acquiring new production tools. The production module is a real strength, a tool that really stands out. Another feature that sets ProConcept ERP apart is its ability to calculate requirements. Its robustness, with multi-level order restitution, has never failed us after several years of use. Finally, upstream/downstream traceability in terms of document flows and characterisation enables us to have excellent tracking, with product serial numbers. These are 3 remarkable features of ProConcept for Swiza. »
Supporting Swiza's growth
ProConcept has helped Swiza to grow and evolve: « Initially, we were managing 4 to 5 major projects a year. Today, we are working on 10-12 projects, with the ultimate aim of integrating even more. The ProConcept ERP has supported our progress, both in terms of the volume and complexity of the data to be managed. What I think is significant is that we have been able to manage this growth with a constant workforce from an administrative point of view. » says Thierry Siebenborn
In 2021, Swiza migrated to the latest major version of its ERP system. The technological developments in this version have improved response times. The CRM, which has been greatly enhanced, will be rolled out by the end of the year. Finally, the web application available in this version 11.3 offers Swiza's mobile teams a simple, remote connection.
But the developments don't stop there: « We still have several ProConcept-related projects in the upcoming months, including the introduction of cost accounting and automatic reporting, and the transition to multi-company operations,» adds Thierry Siebenborn
Building a relationship of trust
« When deploying an ERP system, of course there's the tool, but that's not all. The close working relationship with the sales teams and consultants has created a real working relationship based on mutual understanding. That's worth noting, because today it's not that widespread. We don't always agree, but we know how to arrive at a compromise, which is why we have been able to build a partnership that is here to stay, and which will go on to make “little ones”. » concludes Thierry Siebenborn