ProcessPro

Batch production and manufacturing of specialized chemicals requires an industry- specific ERP for optimizing the entire process ranging from planning and execution, inventory management and quality assurance. Linking the information pertaining to these mission- critical business functions through an integrated Business Intelligence (BI) functionality, provides real-time visibility into the entire manufacturing process, improves efficiency besides ensuring compliance with varying statutory requirements. Catering to this requirement with its ERP software suite is ProcessPro, headquartered in St. Cloud, MN. With an illustrious record of serving manufacturers of specialty chemicals, lubricants, and paints, the company has carved a niche for itself in the ERP market. Currently a division of Open Systems, “ProcessPro brings over 30 years of proven solutions, complementary vertical markets, and extensive expertise in process manufacturing,” says Dr. Michael Bertini, CEO, Open Systems.

ProcessPro Premier—the robust chemical ERP software suite incorporates all the critical requirements for chemical manufacturers and other batch processing industries. In a highly regulated industry, features to simplify the traceability of lots for ascertaining their quality prove to be a key priority. ProcessPro’s end- to-end lot tracking competence enables manufacturers to identify potential issues and take action instantly. Besides, this automated tracking makes it easy for clients to improvise planning, streamline audits, and carry out marginal analysis.

Specifically designed for batch process manufacturers, ProcessPro’s recipe formulation feature allows for the inspection of recipe development, documentation of manufacturing instructions and devising new formulations. Moreover, the revision control option tackles quality control test provisions while handling numerous versions of formulas and recipes.

The integrated quality control eliminates the necessity to re-enter data pertaining to batches multiple times. The software streamlines the entire process by providing realtime visibility through interactive dashboards, reporting, and data analysis from mobile and desktop environments. The dashboards also provide graphical snapshots of productivity and project financials to issue the right bill of materials. The BI suite provides an intuitive interface to directly drill down to retrieve all critical information, which can be exported to spreadsheets for analysis and sharing to enable smarter business decision making. Consequently an efficient reporting system for preparing a variety of reports pertaining to manufacturing operations is also a key highlight of Premier. The software suite also features custom built tools for certification and validation of compliance requirements with FDA and GHS.

Premier’s ability to support chemical manufacturers in a variety of ways critical to the growth of business, has won the company accolades from several customers. To cite an instance, Hampford Research, Inc. (HRI), a custom chemical manufacturer specializing in photo-chemicals and radiation cured monomers, faced delays in almost every aspect including inventory status, warehouse management, or even simple financial reporting owing to lack of real-time information and visibility into manufacturing operations. With ProcessPro on board, HRI was able to unleash the power of Premier, which could scale with the changes implemented by the company. Operational efficiency was improved manifold by streamlining the processes with additional features like Project Accounting, Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and an effective Warehouse Management Solution. With a view to empower organizations through upgraded ERP implementation, ProcessPro is overhauling its solution portfolio by incorporating new, functional services like coach-to-peer training, standard operating procedure documentation, well-defined data migration, complete system testing, knowledge transfer and so forth. Furthermore, Bertini wants to leave no stone unturned in working towards ameliorating current services so as to ensure best results and optimum customer satisfaction.