From Chaos to 90% On-Time Deliveries with Business Central and Advanced Production Scheduling
29.04.2022
The Spanish company Adix has more than 20 years of experience in producing a wide range of industrial explosion protection systems with a focus on the power industry, mainly in the areas of food, chemistry, and pharmacy. Moreover, they offer consulting, training, and maintenance. They run Microsoft Dynamics as ERP in the company. To manage its operations, the company relies on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central as its ERP system.
Nearly no on-time deliveries
For Adix, one of the biggest hurdles was production scheduling. With a wide range of components and short customer lead times, scheduling quickly became complex. According to Managing Director Ignacio Garrido Ceca, this often led to “a lot of frustration” — not only for customers but also internally, as promised delivery dates were rarely accurate. “We had nearly no on-time deliveries,” Ignacio recalls.
Excel quickly reached its limits
Initially, Adix planned production with Excel spreadsheets. Later, they attempted to connect macro-based Excel tools with Dynamics 365 Business Central, but the chaos remained. “We were not really controlling our purchases nor our production,” Ignacio explains.
Production scheduling tool was required
“And we were almost never on time” - Ignacio’s statement sums up the problems that arose from planning the production in a hand-made, and not digitized way. As the company was growing and with this, the number of orders was of course increasing, the inadequateness of their approach became clearer and clearer. This was even more frustrating, as the company has good products on offer and was running the risk of losing business because they had “… a lot of unsatisfied customers because of delivery problems”.It became clear, that Adix needs a powerful, but easy-to-understand scheduling tool.
The solution: Visual Advanced Production Scheduler
Adix turned to Tecon, their trusted Microsoft Dynamics partner, for help. Tecon recommended the Visual Advanced Production Scheduler (VAPS) from NETRONIC (now part of Boyum IT), a leading provider of visual production scheduling extensions for Business Central.
After a thorough evaluation, Adix decided to implement VAPS (today called Schedule (VAPS)) - and the results have been transformative.
Results with advanced production scheduling
Reliable delivery dates
The most critical improvement was in delivery reliability. “We went from almost no on-time deliveries to 80–90% on-time deliveries,” Ignacio confirms. For the first time, the sales team could provide customers with reliable delivery dates.
Higher customer satisfaction
Accurate planning led to happier customers. “Delivering on time is very important for our customers,” Ignacio emphasizes.
Lower transportation costs
Previously, many shipments were made via expensive air freight because production delays left no time for container shipping. With advanced scheduling in Business Central, Adix now has the flexibility to plan production and logistics in sync — enabling them to ship more efficiently and cut transportation costs.
Happier employees
Scheduling the production makes the employees’ daily work much easier. Before the VAPS, due to the lack of transparency, the staff members “were changing the priorities every day. And then you are wasting a lot of time and you are using more time than expected for the production of every component or every equipment”, says Ignacio. "With the clarity the VAPS brings to the planning process, the employees now have a clear schedule and with this gain continuity and stability for their work." As Ignacio sums up “…it's easier for them and they are more relaxed."
A strong partnership
Beyond the tool itself, Adix appreciates the collaboration with NETRONIC (now part of Boyum IT). Ignacio Garrido Ceca, Managing Director at Adix:
"Schedule (VAPS) fundamentally changed the way we manage and run our production. On the one hand, it gives us transparency and the right tools to achieve stable and seamless production processes. On the other hand, it allows us to react to unplanned incidents quickly and to make the right decisions fast. However, it is not just the product. It is also the people: Any time we asked, NETRONIC found solutions. It is very easy to communicate with the team, they are responsive, they listen to our needs and come back with ideas how to help us solve our challenges."
Conclusion
For Adix, the implementation of the Visual Advanced Production Scheduler (VAPS) in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central has been a game-changer. By replacing manual planning with automated, visual production scheduling, they have drastically improved delivery accuracy, reduced costs, and created a more positive work environment for employees.
Looking to boost your production scheduling and increase efficiency across your business? Request a demo with our scheduling specialists today and see how VAPS can make it happen.
