When it comes to examples of ERP success, our team can point to several previous engagements. A case in point is our engagement with Radio Flyer, a company known to most as the makers of “the original little red wagon.” The relationship between Radio Flyer and Ultra was forged when Radio Flyer realized a familiar dilemma − they did not have an in-house ERP team to aid them in their ERP Selection.
In partnering with Ultra, Radio Flyer was looking to make some changes regarding their ERP selection, business process improvement, and implementation management.
Recognizing the need for improvement
Radio Flyer’s interest in improving these areas was perpetuated by significant growth within the company. There was now a need for the standardization of global operations, ideally onto one single ERP platform. Ultra was ready to take on this project to ensure Radio Flyer’s ERP success.
What is Business Process Mapping?
For Ultra, the first step in addressing these issues is always business process mapping. In this phase, Ultra determines the current state of business and the desired future state, and then uses the maps to identify the discrepancies between the two.
Note that a typical manufacturing company will have upwards of 200 to 300 processes. Within each functional area, each step isolates an individual process into a workflow diagram for a clear depiction of a process or series of parallel processes. Within the process step, we document what happens in the process step – what was the input to the step, what happens with that input, and what is the subsequent output.
This type of mapping had never been done before at Radio Flyer, but the notion was widely accepted, as these business process maps provide clear understanding not only to upper level management, but also to the entire company as a whole.
With the conclusion of the process mapping state came a few solid goals for improvement. Ultra and Radio Flyer decided to work on improving supply chain visibility, optimizing inventory, making sales forecasting accuracy a priority, and adding real-time analytics to ensure better reporting.
How to Achieve ERP Success in the Future State
After Ultra and Radio Flyer determined these priorities for business improvement, Ultra entered the ERP selection stage and suggested an ERP system that would best cover all of Radio Flyer’s needs. The main benefit of the selected ERP system was that it offered access to real-time order information and provided a single source of business data. Radio Flyer is very happy with the fruits of Ultra’s business process analysis.
ERP Success Next Steps
Check out the following resources to get started on your ERP Success journey today:
- Read more about the project via the Radio Flyer Case Study.
- Contact Ultra to get started on your own business process mapping.
- Ultra’s ERP White Papers provide insight into your ERP journey.
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