Perfect view of every order

Many business leaders get gray hairs when someone talks to them about their ERP package. With Kurt Vanwynsberghe of Erpa Industrial Supplier, you get the opposite reaction. He's damn pleased with how Profitplus' business software has completely digitized his workflow. "We have created complete traceability from order to finished product, from which both we and our customers benefit, because the time savings it generates are enormous," he says like a true ambassador.

Erpa Industrial Supplier is a family business pure and simple. Over four generations, it evolved from horse blacksmith to first-class supplier in both machining and sheet metal. "When our customers traded in their horses for tractors and other agricultural machinery, we followed along. First with the pure focus on maintenance, then we broadened the scope even further," says business manager Kurt Vanwynsberghe. 

The name and history make it clear what the Jabbeek company stands for: service. "We want to help our customers move forward. On the one hand by a machine park that offers the necessary possibilities. For example, we can turn up to diameter 600 mm, milling up to 3 m. On the other hand by the technical competence of our employees at the machines, with whom our customers are often in direct contact. They take care of the pieces from A to Z, thus setting the bar high in terms of quality while getting the necessary satisfaction from their own work." 

Short lead times require oversight

Today, this is done from two branches. The cradle in Jabbeke and a second company in Izegem, where traditionally a lot of maintenance work is done for the big industrial names in the region. "We shared the same DNA," clarified Vanwynsberghe. "We try to be short on time from both locations. Flexibility and short lead times are key words on the shop floor." 

In terms of business management, Erpa is also clearly choosing the way forward. For years, Erpa has been using Profitplus ERP software to realize those ambitions. A path that began back in 2012. "Time is the most precious commodity we have. Instead of gnashing my teeth on administration, I wanted to automate to ensure the continuity of the company. A good ERP package ensures conclusive traceability and that benefits myself, but also my customers," Vanwynsberghe summarizes the main motivation.

Standard package that includes everything

More than twenty providers passed through Erpa. "From the start, one thing was clear: I wanted a standard package. And that was not so obvious in the metal industry. To give an example: I buy certain materials in meters, but sell them in tons. Then you want a solution that can do that for you directly, without complicated intermediate routes. Profitplus really stood out in that area. They made me think in a healthy way about how I could adjust my way of working to fit better, but at the same time I also found solutions in the standard package for problem areas that I ran into every day." 

A win-win, then, because more than a decade later, Vanwynsberghe is still convinced of his investment. "It's a total package, accounting and production included, allowing my entire administration to run digitally. And it has simply grown with us during those years. Today, for example, there is also time registration on the shop floor. This allows me to post-calculate each piece perfectly for more accurate pricing and work planning in the future. And it doesn't cost me any time: in less than thirty seconds the software calculates it for me. "

"They are there for you when you need them."

They are also more than satisfied with the cooperation with Profitplus at Erpa. Vanwynsberghe: "You know you're facing a mountain when you invest in an ERP system. We knew the horror stories and had prepared for the worst. In the end, we were pleasantly surprised that the preparation we put in with the Profitplus team paid off in a smooth transition. They allowed us to digitize our entire operation and have a perfect overview of how each order is doing in each branch. This saves an incredible amount of time. Moreover, they continue to think with us. Every proposal we have, every question we have is seriously gone through and followed up. They are there when you need them."