Case Study: Kaufman Container And Encompass Solutions Business Process Review

Kaufman Container has enjoyed substantial returns on its investment in Epicor ERP software thanks to skilled consulting, implementation, and training

Kaufman Container has enjoyed substantial returns on its investment in Epicor ERP software thanks to skilled consulting, implementation, and training services provided by Encompass Solutions, Inc. and Epicor Software Corp.

The Project

Kaufman had been running several non-integrated systems before the implementation of Epicor ERP. During that time, these non-integrated platforms led to colleagues having to do each other’s jobs. One example included a lack of confidence in the inventory on hand. with no trust in the system data, users had to manually confirm inventory availability.

The Epicor implementation effort was owned by Kaufman IT Director Larry Keilin. “The transition from our old system to our new system was less painful than I expected for many employees, the day you switch from an old system to a new system is the day they love the old system,” Keilin commented. “A large number of our employees got on the Epicor bandwagon and became excited about all the work they can now do that they couldn’t do before. We are truly seeing the benefits, for example, for the purchasing department, the Buyers Workbench is such a useful tool that it stands out, and our customer service department loves the way they can take an old order, copy it, and create a new one-it’s a huge time saver for them.”

The Details

  • 70 Concurrent Office Users
  • 15 Concurrent Data Collection Users
  • 8 Database Users
  • On-Premise Deployment

The Challenge

Challenges for this project are both substantial and essential to overcome if Kaufman were to make the most of its new ERP system. First, overcoming the lack of visibility for purchasing decisions, which up until this point had been made using days’ worth of research and inventory management via Microsoft® Excel® worksheets, would be essential.

Second, The lack of real-time transaction data gave little insight into how Kaufman was performing at any given point in time. Finally, the organization’s multiple costing methodologies provided inconsistent gross margin calculations.

The Goals

Kaufman Container implemented its Epicor ERP solution with the primary goals of:

  • Better tracking of sales and gross margin data to salespersons and customers.
  • Improve inventory management.
  • Integrate production management.
  • Growing revenue and profitability.

The Results

Encompass Solutions was contracted by Kaufman to perform an end-to-end business process review (BPR) which was critical in helping to determine the optimal business processes to follow. This would yield the maximum benefit from the newly implemented Epicor ERP product. The BRP was completed in just one week and helped outline areas for improvement as well as recommendations for systems and process improvement moving forward into implementation. 

Every business area was taken into account during the assessment and recommendations for changes in engineering, production, inventory, purchasing, costing, and accounting departments were presented. In particular, a go-forward path that included additional modules to offer a substantial benefit to production and inventory management was provided by Encompass

When asked how he felt we performed in our assessment, Keilin offered, “Encompass has done a great job at assessing the situation, with BPR guidance to systematically attack and resolve pain points following the implementation.”

Improvements included:

  • High return on investment that saw overhead costs cut by 30%.
  • System usability improved significantly as a result of easy-to-use dashboards and report generation.
  • Business Process Management (BPM) provided users the ability to set conditions and actions that added functionality to the system, tailoring screens and processes as needed.
  • Reorganization of sites, warehouses, and bins enabled quick and easy product location for issuing to jobs or shipping.
  • Parts purchasing was made easier with the visibility of time phase reporting.
  • The consistent average cost across all product lines.

Full Kaufman Container Case Study

About Kaufman Container

For the past 100 years, Kaufman Container has been a leader in the North American market in providing quality and innovative packaging components and value-added services. From our beginning, our focus has always been on giving our customers exactly what they are looking for. Kaufman Container continues to be your “One Stop Shop” for all your packaging needs.

an image of the case study kaufman container corporate headquarters

Today, Kaufman Container continues to be a privately-held, family-owned business that operates two key facilities in the Midwest. The business offers a wide variety of products and services, warehousing, quality and technical support, logistics assistance, and an in-house decorating facility.

About Encompass Solutions

Encompass Solutions, Inc. is an ERP consulting firm, a NetSuite Solution Provider, and an Epicor Platinum Partner that offers professional services in business consulting, project management, and software implementation. Whether undertaking full-scale implementation, integration, and renovation of existing systems or addressing emerging challenges in corporate and operational growth, Encompass provides a specialized approach to every client’s needs. As experts in identifying customer requirements and addressing them with the right solutions, we ensure our clients are equipped to match the pace of the Industry.

Sean Balogh

About Sean Balogh

A marketing professional working hard to deliver relevant and engaging content to audiences in education, technology, and manufacturing.