A chemical manufacturer sought to optimize its operations by implementing Oracle NetSuite. Withum’s ERP team worked with the client to maximize NetSuite’s capabilities, utilizing add-on products to enhance efficiency.

The client is a large family-owned chemical manufacturer that produces specialty chemicals based on propriety technology for coatings, inks, plastics and more. As an industry leader and premier supplier, they pride themselves on manufacturing best-in-class products in New Jersey for their customers nationwide.

The chemical manufacturer struggled to accurately manage the movement and reduction of inventory within their warehouses. Without a proper automatic process for inventory transferring and storage, it was often difficult to find the product that they were looking for. The manufacturing process was also documented on paper and manually entered into their outdated system. This created significant room for error, which contributed to their inaccurate data.

The client’s previous system did not limit access to employees with different roles. Any employee could change chemical formulas, orders, customer information, etc. without supervisor approval. This resulted in data being manipulated, whether correctly or incorrectly, without an audit trail of who made the changes. The chemical manufacturer searched for a system to instill governance over which departments and roles edit data.

Withum recommended that NetSuite be implemented, alongside Blend ERP and RFSmart, to oversee the client’s manufacturing, order entry and sales and financial management. Blend ERP helps improve the manufacturing build process by tracking raw material usage, product yield, and packaging to help process manufacturers improve efficiency, consistency and margins. RFSmart tracks the movement of inventory, moving from bin to bin, transferring to another warehouse, or shipping out to customers. The chemical manufacturer is set up for success with these three products working seamlessly.

Withum’s Implementation Methodology (WIM) strategically combines elements from the waterfall and agile frameworks. This approach ensures an effective strategy for client projects. The project is divided into two main phases: the NetSuite Global Design Phase and the NetSuite Implementation Phase.

In the NetSuite Global Design Phase, the Withum team sought an in-depth understanding of how the chemical manufacturer operates daily. The team considered the client’s strengths and weaknesses to build an improved comprehensive business system solution. A detailed summary of requirements was drawn out to ensure the planned solution would meet all the chemical manufacturer’s needs.

Once the design was finalized, the NetSuite Implementation Phase was kicked off. Using the requirements outlined in the design stage, the Withum team configured NetSuite to satisfy the specific client needs. As process areas were completed, rigorous testing was performed using developed test cases to ensure system readiness. To add, customizations were identified and proposed to match the functionality better and reduce manual efforts. A notable customization included a checkbox that automatically allocated a sample ordered and shipped it to a customer in the appropriate expense account.

In preparation for the system’s go-live, Withum put a strong emphasis on training. With batches constantly needing to be produced and shipped, the Withum team wanted to ensure that the production operators could efficiently complete batches in the system at the time of go-live. The seasoned consultants implemented a “Train the Trainer” approach. This end-user training approach included investing in process owners, who can then pass their knowledge to their team members. The extensive amount of training provided to the client greatly increased their confidence as go-live approached.

The extensive NetSuite implementation brought forth by Withum allowed for a drastic process improvement for the client, aligning with the goals set at the start of the project. The implementation positioned the company for continuous growth and future opportunities, providing a scalable framework to accommodate increased demands. Additionally, the project made significant strides in enhancing financial management, enabling more precise control and strategic planning. After seeing the art of the possible, the chemical manufacturer hopes to expand their NetSuite use into New Product Introduction, Material Requirements Planning and improved marketing efforts that would not have been possible in their previous system.