Fast-Growing Manufacturer Solves Scheduling Challenges with Solution from Infor

Infor solutions enable J&E/Earll Manufacturing to slash lead times and gain 95 percent on-time delivery

Infor, the largest global enterprise software provider exclusively focused on developing solutions for the manufacturing and distribution industries, announced that Minnesota-based J&E/Earll Manufacturing has adopted scheduling and planning solutions from Infor that have made dramatic improvements in the company's performance.

J&E/Earll has implemented Infor's Easy Lean™ solution, which has brought pull-oriented scheduling techniques to its production, which includes the manufacture and delivery of make-to order custom metal components and fabricated, finished and assembled final products for industries in some 30 states, Canada and Ireland.

Prior to incorporating Easy Lean into its Infor ERP VISUAL software suite, J&E/Earll lacked the tools it needed to meet its delivery performance objectives. Without a formal scheduling or load/capacity capability, work did not flow efficiently. Production was consistently subject to expedited shipments and constantly shifting priorities. After Infor's Throughput Improvement PSO Group provided J&E/Earll with an approach to lean manufacturing, the company was able to use Easy Lean to reduce lead times dramatically, while making it considerably easier to maintain a 95 percent on-time performance level.

J&E/Earll has grown rapidly over the last few years through acquisition of finishing and fabricating companies, and Infor's Easy Lean is helping all its units operate more efficiently. General Manager Greg Rabenort said, "Easy Lean gave us the right priorities in manufacturing. It allows us to grow. Although powerful, it is easy to learn and use; and with great success we are rolling it out to our other companies on our own. It gives us the visibility we need to see in real time and manage by exception."

The company expects to create a quick-response cell that will handle up to 25 percent of its production, and CEO Mike Hansen anticipates, "Easy Lean will allow us to run it easily." Hansen added, "Infor ERP VISUAL has been a great help as we've acquired companies. It provides us with the ability to matrix-manage our operations remotely."

Infor solutions have enabled J&E/Earll to operate consistent, integrated and automated processes among all its acquired companies, to grow rapidly while maintaining top-level performance and a major improvement in consistently achieving on-time delivery and fulfillment. With Infor solutions, the company is gaining greater market share and is using cutting-edge tools to manage the increased work flow and loads deriving from its growth.

About Infor ERP VISUAL
Infor ERP VISUAL, a feature-rich solution with an easy-to-use graphic user interface, provides manufacturers an extensive integrated solution to source, plan, make and deliver. A work order centric solution, VISUAL is designed to give small to medium enterprises powerful management capabilities through the built in workflow system, allowing them to build the controls they need for their business. Over 4,000 manufacturers depend on Infor ERP VISUAL to gain valuable insight into their supply chain, improve compliance management, and successfully support lean initiatives.  For additional information, visit http://go.infor.com/visual.

About Infor
Infor delivers business-specific software to enterprising organizations. With experience built in, Infor’s solutions enable businesses of all sizes to be more enterprising and adapt to the rapid changes of a global marketplace. With more than 70,000 customers, Infor is changing what businesses expect from an enterprise software provider. For additional information, visit www.infor.com


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