When it comes to precisely fitting car seats, effortlessly conveying heavy materials from A to B or loading yoghurt pots onto pallets to save space, automated production systems come into play. SME Sondermaschinenbau Engelsdorf specializes in the production of these handling, assembly and transport systems, mainly for the automotive, food and building materials industries. According to Managing Director Jan Wolf, SME is always in demand when standard solutions do not help: "We see ourselves as a service provider for industry. No matter what product the customer wants to transport or assemble - we supply the automation process for it."

At SME, no process runs without the Deleco ERP software from software manufacturer Delta Barth. Deleco accompanies every project throughout all departments - starting with the preparation of quotations, through the generation of parts lists based on the design data, to work planning and feedback on the time spent, and finally invoicing. "These clear sequences have had a positive influence on the way we work," explains Jan Wolf, who sees the biggest challenge for his business software as finding the perfect balance between a regulated workflow and flexibility. After all, the construction of a special machine should always be seen as a process. It is not uncommon for additional requirements to arise during ongoing production, new solutions are tested and additional components have to be manufactured or purchased.

Changes in the design are mapped, for example, in the form of subsequent additions or with the help of different technology variants. If additional ordered material arrives at the goods receiving department, it can be assigned to the corresponding production order as "unplanned" and thus quickly finds its place in the system. In this way, SME remains flexible and at the same time maintains an overview of all projects and the associated data - an immense advantage for subsequent controlling.

At SME, no process runs without the Deleco ERP software from software manufacturer Delta Barth. © SME

Keeping aneye on costs and income
The structured way of working offers another advantage: an all-round view of costs and income. "The success of a company stands and falls with a sound cost evaluation," Jan Wolf is certain. Especially with regard to special machine construction with its numerous cost components, it is important to be able to rely on accurate business figures. Deleco meets these requirements thanks to its seamless database. From the first drawing to the manufacturing steps in production, the working hours spent by the employees are recorded. In addition, machine hours in the form of production costs and expenditure on purchased parts, outsourcing or materials are taken directly from the purchasing department. The software analyzes all this data and provides the results in the form of evaluations and diagrams.

Jan Wolf particularly appreciates the reporting date-based view of the project figures. The costs calculated in the order value are compared directly with the actual expenditure and income. The software even includes expected costs based on orders, goods receipts and invoices. The all-round view is completed by the down payment and final invoices in sales. The company's liquidity is thus monitored at all times.

And another benefit is obvious: "Thanks to the target/actual comparison, I always have the cost status of the project to hand and can see immediately whether the calculation is working or whether there are differences," explains the Managing Director. If the latter is the case, it is usually followed by a look at the breakdown of the cost components. This analysis immediately shows how the expenditure is made up and whether, for example, the cost of materials, outsourcing, project tasks or production costs are responsible for the increase. This makes it possible to react at an early stage.

In addition, the price calculation becomes more precise with every completed project. "Thanks to Deleco, we can go into extreme depth in the post-calculation. We can look at the costs for the individual assemblies as a whole or break them down to the last screw," reports Jan Wolf. The contractor uses the information gained in this way when estimating costs for the next order. as