Manufacturer of polypropylene packaging products CIPLAS has been a QAD customer for more than 25 years, as it’s grown and become a global leader in the plastics packaging industry. As the Bogotá, Colombia based company grew, management was in search of a more centralized enterprise solution for information management.
An Enterprise Solution that Grows with the Enterprise
CIPLAS has grown with great success over the last 25 years with improved efficiencies, productivity and planning. Below are some lessons learned from CIPLAS’ experience implementing QAD solutions and later upgrading to the latest version of QAD Adaptive ERP. Learn from CIPLAS’ experience with QAD by viewing their full case study.
Select a Scalable Solution
When it first implemented QAD ERP, CIPLAS’ management team anticipated growth and diversification. The company looked for a scalable solution to handle the expected expansion of its product portfolio. Because of the dynamic nature of the packaging industry, CIPLAS needed to be able to pivot easily with changing trends, new materials and varying client requirements, in addition to global competitors.
“About 25 years ago, we were 10% the size we are now. We’ve grown with this single IT solution. We achieved this growth with one tool, QAD ERP,” commented CIPLAS General Manager Igal Jinich.
Automate Error-prone Manual Processes
Over the last two decades, CIPLAS has grown its packaging products manufacturing business and added extensive recycling and sustainability activities. It sells its products throughout South America, Mexico and the U.S., serving such industries as agrobusiness, construction, petrochemical, food, mining and textiles, and fertilizer, among others. The manual and spreadsheet-based management tools of the past weren’t delivering the efficiencies and operational coordination the company needed.
An enterprise solution was the answer.
“We had consultants suggest that we implement an ERP to gain professional management tools and empower our people. QAD ERP was the right solution, and we’ve been very happy ever since implementation,” added Jinich.
Centralize Operations on One Tool
Managing and processing information with a user-friendly solution was the goal of CIPLAS as it initially implemented QAD ERP. The company’s modern production technology needed an equally modern information management system to coordinate BOMs, product formulas, routing and compliance with customer requirements.
Choose an Agile Solution that Can Respond to Crises
The COVID-19 pandemic affected packaging manufacturers across the globe in a variety of ways, but CIPLAS was able to operate uninterrupted while other manufacturers closed. Because of the anywhere/anytime accessibility of QAD Adaptive ERP, staff in sales, accounting, administration and some production areas continued their work virtually from home.
“We looked at other solutions, and heard from colleagues, suppliers, customers, and friends that their solutions were not flexible. Because Colombia’s accounting and tax rules have changed over time, we needed a seamless, agile solution – that’s QAD Adaptive ERP,” commented Jinich.
Ease of Use is a Defining Attribute
CIPLAS management required an easy-to-use, intuitive system for its users to interact with on a regular basis. QAD Adaptive ERP manages all manufacturing and process operations, from plant management and scheduling to planning and accounting functions. CIPLAS users now have automated inventory management as it moves from one process to the next, using scanners and barcodes, with easy and straightforward input. At their work centers, operators can quantify real-time data, including precise weight and quality by machine and by operator, providing insights for all parts of the company, including production, planning, accounting, HR and costing.
In addition, CIPLAS’ IT group easily created several customized reports for different departments. One example was a new report built from a QAD report that breaks out costs per machine and operator.
“When we don’t have to think about the capabilities of the system or the flexibility of the system, we can focus on our work,” added Jinich.
Choose a Team Player
QAD team members in Colombia are a part of CIPLAS’ team, meeting regularly with the family-owned company to provide support. CIPLAS gives regular feedback about QAD and appreciates the flexibility of the solution. Good dialogue among QAD team members and CIPLAS management has resulted in a successful working relationship.
Better Responding to Change with an Adaptive ERP
CIPLAS gained a variety of benefits by selecting QAD ERP all those years ago and upgrading it over time to maintain peak levels of efficiency. QAD Adaptive ERP promotes strategic decision-making and planning with real-time data and data transparency. The scalability of QAD ERP has aided CIPLAS to increase sales as well as the number of kilograms processed by more than 150% over the last 10 years. As the company’s business model changes, QAD’s forecasting and data modeling features continue to be the right fit for CIPLAS, giving them timely responses to those changes.
“QAD is a robust, solid and 100% reliable system with 100% support – in 25 years, we’ve never had a day where we’ve stopped production because of QAD,” concluded Jinich.
To learn more about CIPLAS’ latest upgrade to QAD Adaptive ERP, check out the full case study.
