Process Manufacturing in the Chemical Industry: the need for Formulation & Quality Control
Manufacturers have complex processes, so regardless of the industry they are in, they require a robust Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) solution. Process Manufacturers deal with formulas and recipes which bring an added level of difficulty, and since Chemical Manufacturers fall into a unique category of process manufacturers, they have requirements that go beyond the features of a standard ERP solution.
Procession is a software solution built specifically for chemical manufacturers & distributors, and it works exclusively with Sage X3 (formerly known as Sage Enterprise Management), a preferred ERP solution among manufacturers. Sage X3 already offers best-in-class features that streamline production, inventory control, distribution and financial tasks but by embedding Procession into the ERP solution, chemical manufactures get to experience tools such as formulation and quality control that are designed to meet their exact needs.
FORMULATION with Procession
During the process of formulation, extensive research and development (R&D) is conducted to build optimal formulas at the lowest possible cost. Formulas need to be consistently improved which means that research is ongoing and as such, chemical manufacturers require tools that can track and compare their research, revisions and results. With Procession, R&D teams can manage formulas in a ‘sandbox’, track requests for new formulas, search existing formulas for matches, cost formulas, track specifications and workbench test results, and much more.
Since Procession is fully integrated with Sage X3 (formerly known as Sage Enterprise Management) it also allows data to flow seamlessly between departments. This integration enables organizations to operate more efficiently, preventing data from having to be re-entered into multiple systems as it moves through workflows and various departments. Thankfully this range of access doesn’t come at the expensive of security, since multiple levels of security rights and audit capability can be applied to ensure that formulas are secure. Furthermore, since Procession is embedded right into the Enterprise Management solution, they share the same interface and there is no need for integration links.
QUALITY CONTROL with Procession
Quality control is an important aspect of every step of formulation – from start to finish it ensures that raw materials and finished products meet both internal standards, as well as regulatory control.
Procession’s quality control features give organizations the tools to automatically track and quarantine products, pull samples from a batch, analyze samples & archive reports, and automatically send out email Certificates of Analysis to customers. Since it’s embedded directly in Sage X3, companies can create customizable quality control reports, control stock flows, and manage, record & analyze quality control data from within the solution. When using a solution that is not embedded into your ERP, it creates longer and more complex processes as you are forced to navigate is and out of multiple systems, cross referencing and re-entering data.
Our client, Oregon’s Wild Harvest, has been using Procession since 2016 and it has provided their Quality Control department with the ability to utilize a standard group of quality test and set unique acceptance levels based on materials. Material level test control isn’t a feature available in Sage X3 and since implementing Procession, our client has been able to retire an access database that they had been using, and move all of their results into Sage X3. As a result, they’ve dramatically reduced documentation and the complexity of processes, while maintaining more information directly in Their ERP – easily accessible for other reports. They’ve also gained the ability to create trend analysis reports and restrict user access to sensitive data.
While Procession isn’t the only way that chemical manufacturers can gain access to the specialized tools they need, it stands out because it’s the only certified solution designed specifically and exclusively for Sage X3. This seamless integration ensures that Procession feels like a natural part of your ERP: it’s accessible from any sessions, shares the same interface and you never have to change programs to use the specialized tools. It gives chemical manufacturers one robust solution where they can manage and complete all of their core processes.