CODA and SSI partnership demonstrates effectiveness of Best-of-Class approach in manufacturing

CODA Group (AIM: CSY), the corporate performance management (CPM) and accounting software specialist, today announced that it has recorded its 50th joint customer with manufacturing ERP specialist SSI.

Kettle Produce, a leading processor and packer of fresh vegetables, fruit and produce, recently signed a contract with SSI for its TROPOS ERP system, fully integrated with CODA-Financials.

Kettle Produce is the latest specialist processor/manufacturer to benefit from CODA’s powerful and flexible accounting and financial intelligence support alongside SSI’s focused manufacturing know-how. A range of other food and beverage companies such as Sundora, Morrison Bowmore and G&J Greenalls have used the specialist solution for some time. The ability of the SSI/CODA solution to handle complicated dimension-constrained materials has also attracted manufacturers of paper (Tullis Russell and James Cropper), tapes, threads and reels (Advanced Tapes, Oxley Threads, Cormar Carpets and Brintons Carpets), packaging (USCan) and metals (Peglar).

CODA provides award-winning Financial Intelligence solutions for all types and sizes of organization. The flexibility of CODA products means that all cultural and industry sector approaches to financial intelligence and accounting can be reflected easily within the same version of the system. This makes CODA-Financials ideally suited to meeting industry-specific functional demands by integrating with solutions from vertical industry specialist partners such as SSI, the market leader in UK process industry solutions.

SSI has built a strong reputation as a provider of TROPOS, one of the best ERP solutions available for process and lean, discrete manufacturers. A key component of TROPOS is a fully integrated implementation of CODA-Financials to provide best-of-class financial management capabilities to match the abilities of SSI’s demand-pull manufacturing software.

The nature of specialist manufacturers means that few are global organizations. However, that doesn’t reduce the sophistication of their products or the complexity of the processes required to make those products. Typical of these is Hyperlast, which makes specialist polymers for the automotive and aircraft industry, used in mouldings for transmission and structural components for production and competition vehicles.

SSI is able to provide additional services, such as providing remote system management for companies that may not wish to rely completely on in-house IT expertise. Currently, around 20 joint SSI/CODA customer systems are managed remotely from SSI’s Basingstoke HQ. This reduces the risk of relying on obtaining and retaining skilled local resources and allows the company to concentrate on its core business operations.

Neville Merritt, Sales and Marketing Director at SSI, said: “Most of our customers operate in the process or lean manufacturing sector, where fast response to ever changing customer requirements is crucial. Manufacturers supplying the major retailers and textile, metal and paper mills are examples of companies where they constantly have to make products better, faster and cheaper just to remain competitive. CODA-Financials repeatedly proves itself to be the most flexible and powerful accounting system on the market for manufacturers. There would be no point in TROPOS being able to deal with rapid-response manufacturing if the accounting system couldn’t cope. We’re very pleased to say that CODA has always been able to handle every requirement.”

Ann Fearnley, Partner Manager at CODA, said: “Manufacturing has always been a key market for CODA. Even today, manufacturing still accounts for around 25% of the UK economy, so CODA is pleased to work with partners such as SSI that are able to bring to market highly targeted and hugely effective solutions that can deliver real value to manufacturers. Our belief in a best-of-class approach is bolstered by the success of our partnership with SSI.

“I think SSI’s approach to implementing systems is probably unique in their sector. In addition to providing features to support the vertical industries they specialise in, they also exploit web-based technology to provide the customisation and individuality needed by a diverse group of users, from management to shop floor. They use the same web-based technology to reduce total cost of ownership by providing software tools to the customer, so they can make their own system changes to meet the evolving needs of their business. CODA is very pleased to be part of that innovative approach.”

About SSI
SSI is dedicated to the design, development, implementation and lifecycle support of manufacturing and supply chain solutions driving competitive advantage for its customers

Key company values are the delivery of high quality solutions based on market-leading products incorporating leading edge functionality, delivered through a partnership approach and backed by strong lifecycle support. Its goal is to implement systems as quickly as possible, commensurate with managing risk, to ensure fast return on investment.

Its strategy is to invest in the development of innovative products, quality people, value-added methodologies and strong service around both our own and other market leading products to ensure long-term partnerships with our customers. We focus on delivering solutions and services that use the latest techniques and technologies to deliver competitive advantage, enabling our customers to do business faster, cheaper and more easily.

SSI Business Solutions are based on SSI's TROPOS ERP system and a range of supporting supply chain applications. Solutions are designed to deliver the low overhead and timely support essential to meet the constant market pressures of lower costs, better quality and faster service.

For more information on SSI please contact Lynne.Hughes@SSI-World.com or visit www.SSI-World.com