Jeol scopes out Glovia ERP solution

Jeol USA (Peabody, MA), a developer and distributor of scientific equipment, has identified Glovia International's (Los Angeles) ERP system as the solution to its information management problems. Glovia is a joint venture between Fujitsu (San Jose) and UK-based ERP vendor MDIS. Jeol USA is the U.S. subsidiary of Jeol, a Japanese manufacturer of electron microscopes and other scientific instruments.

Jeol USA will use the Glovia ERP system to manage information and processes related to the manufacturing, sales, contractors, delivery and installation of custom-made scientific units. The units involve multiple contract vendors and special environmental requirements, resulting in complex configured units and delivery processes. Jeol also plans to give its mobile sales team dial-in access to the system from remote locations.

"We process about 2,500 service contracts and outsource about 25% of our manufacturing, which necessitates keeping track of many different vendors, contracts and projects," said Jeol's systems manager. Before looking at ERP systems, Jeol used an MRP system and a custom application to coordinate the product delivery process, but accessing information proved difficult and costly. "If a third-party component was running late and the field service department wasn't aware of it, they would schedule service personnel to be at a customer site only for them to learn that installation was impossible due to a component shortage." The installation would be delayed, and Jeol was left with wasted time and transportation costs. "This really hurts you when you're trying to get your margins up," he said.

Glovia's ERP system "will not only help us keep track of the location and status of a component, but also will enable us to reassign components to another project if a vendor is running late." The system is expected to "substantially reduce costs, improve communication and accuracy, leading to faster, more efficient product delivery.