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Pier Foundry Adopting Odyssey ERP

Jan. 14, 2011
B&L Info indicates software will promote data accuracy and efficiency
Pier Foundry & Pattern Shop is adopting the Odyssey ERP software to “streamline” its enterprise planning, according to B&L Information Systems, the software developer. The St. Paul, MN, foundry is green sand and no-bake molding operation that produces gray and ductile iron castings in a wide variety of weights and dimensions, for customers that produce agricultural and industrial machinery and equipment, pumps and valves, and transmission components. Odyssey ERP will make real-time information available to the Pier managers and staff, and improve work-in-process and on-time delivery performance, according to B&L Info. The supplier develops industry-specific, integrated enterprise planning (ERP) and supply chain management (SCM) software for foundries and diecasters, including more than 400 customers around the world. According to B&L, Pier Foundry reviewed several ERP systems and visited various foundries before selecting Odyssey, citing B&L’s customer base, commitment to technology, and the software’s foundry-specific functionality. B&L detailed that the foundry has accumulated numerous spreadsheet and accounting software programs, for essential functions ranging from financial management to production control. Pier Foundry is able to manage the individual daily tasks well, but such a system does not provide easy access to real-time information. And, it demands a lot of manual effort to coordinate all the data. “Our biggest challenge is getting accurate, real-time information flowing across the company,” explained Pier Foundry president and chief operating officer Matt Grilz. “From the front office to the production floor, from the order entry to the shipping department, we all need this information to exceed our customers’ expectations. The software will make it possible for Pier Foundry to reduce the inefficiencies of gathering information from different spreadsheets and reports. Kiosks on the shop floor will provide real-time views to operating data, and visual work instructions. “Odyssey will be linked directly to our 32-in. shop floor displays and various handheld devices to aid in communicating key metrics to our staff,” Grilz explained. “Pier Foundry’s success is based on getting the right information to the people that need it, when they need it.