Epicor ERP Provides Big Ass Solutions Equally Large Savings

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - September 13, 2016) - Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, announced today that Big Ass Solutions, a manufacturer of fans, lights and controls for industrial, agricultural, commercial and residential use, is leveraging Epicor ERP to support its growth plans.

"It may only be a ceiling fan, but it's a very complex product," said Bill Nall, chief information officer, Big Ass Solutions. "That drives a lot of complexity on the bill of materials and how all those parts come together on the factory floor. That's where technology is critical because you can't manage that level of complexity without having a tight ERP system."

Big Ass Solutions is no stranger to some of the biggest challenges in manufacturing -- reducing costs, maximizing inventory, and meeting fluctuating demand. However, where it sets itself apart is how deep it goes into the data provided by Epicor ERP to grow its business through procurement -- whether it's leveraging existing vendor data for better rates on materials or identifying new business opportunities, using business intelligence data is at the forefront of the company's growth goals.

Global supply chain integration through ERP

The company plans production well in advance to meet the customer's expectation, "A good ERP system is huge from the standpoint of being able to take all of the demand, all of the sales orders, and tie everything together," said Nall. "Epicor ERP ties our company together from beginning to end and all the way to shipping product to customers in a timely manner."

The company has manufacturing plants globally, so the ability for all of them to stay connected is paramount to its success, and it all starts with order fulfillment and planning. The company's customer relationship management (CRM) software is integrated with Epicor ERP. When it takes an order, it passes over to Epicor to run it through its manufacturing and fulfillment processes.

By leveraging Epicor ERP Purchase Order suggestions, the company can find new sources to find cost-saving ideas as in costs per parts and/or better inventory statuses, often finding a new supplier that can give them a greater cost reduction and thus shorter lead time in order to keep the margins low on product it sells. The push/pull feature is also an important ally, helping the company streamline production by helping them increase, expedite, or push out production orders that are either not needed at that time or need to be increased because of over-demand.