About Plastic Components

  • April 1, 2007

    • Plastic Components Inc. Leads Global Competition with EnterpriseIQ


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    Vision for Success

    In an industry punctuated by ever-increasing competition and recent offshore market share gains, many North-American based molders are making process adjustments just to stay competitive. Yet while some struggle to keep pace with global dynamics, Plastic Components, Inc. (PCI) takes a unique approach to success.

    PCI utilizes complete process automation to keep costs low and quality high. By eliminating all non-value added labor from its manufacturing process, PCI has become a leading, globally-competitive supplier of critical molded plastic parts. To do this, PCI staffs for efficiency, invests in quality equipment and systems, and aggressively pursues process improvements. It was with these goals in mind that PCI sought to replace multiple databases and software packages with a single-database ERP solution.

    “It boiled down to having better control of critical business data,” says Wendi Jay, Administrative Manager at PCI. “Our old system kept data scattered and inaccessible. We needed a single-source system that was in line with our vision for success.”

    Excellence through Automation

    PCI selected EnterpriseIQ for its breadth of functionality, user-friendly format, and the centralized control it provides over core business data. PCI operates 40 molding presses simultaneously 24 hours a day, five days a week with no operators. EnterpriseIQ allows PCI to manage everything from manufacturing and plant operations to sales and distribution, finance, payroll, customer relationship management, preventative maintenance, and more.

    “PCI uses automation to wring out all waste in the manufacturing process,” explains Jay. “IQMS lets us apply that same level of excellence to our business. We now monitor and assess operations in real-time. Our internal and external communications are more accurate, we’ve reduced warehouse space, and we’re supporting an on-time delivery rate of 99.3 percent.”

    Data-Driven Quality, Big Benefits

    As an ISO 9001:2000 certified company, quality standards are important to PCI. EnterpriselQ provides traceability and makes it easy to capture and provide accurate data for ISO audits. But as Jay explains, a system’s data integrity is only as good as the information put into it.

    “IQMS allows us to secure data as well as to specify who enters it,” says Jay. “This is important for ISO certification, and lets us collect accurate performance data that benefits overal quality by encouraging employees to work together toward common goals.”

    But perhaps the biggest benefit PCI has realized with EnterpriselQ is inventory control. Previously, PCI took physical inventory quarterly and experienced major reconciliation issues each time. EnterpriselQ lets PCI take cycle counts throughout the year, so the company now needs to conduct only one, much shorter and far more accurate, physical count at year end.

    “Our IQMS investment paid off immediately by eliminating the time and costs associated with quarterly physical counts,” says Jay. “Before we installed IQMS, we wrangled with major inventory adjustments four times a year, now everything falls into place perfectly with very little effort.”

    Mainstay of Success

    PCI grew its business nearly ten percent in 2006, almost taking its 40,500 square foot facility to capacity. Much of this growth Jay attributes to the company’s success in fulfilling its promise to produce high-quality injected molded parts at the lowest possible cost.

    “IQMS gives us the ability to focus on what we do best,” says Jay. “We know our profitability down to the part, so we can deliver real value to customers and give them the advantage of working with a supplier closer to home. EnterpriselQ is at the core of our recent success, and because IQMS is always improving its technology, EnterpriselQ will be a mainstay in our day-to-day operations well into the future.”

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