Crossroads RMC: Harnessing the True Potential of ERP

Rich Grilli, President

Ever wonder how arduous it is for a business with multiple departments and objectives to function in total sync? This is where Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software does the heavy lifting. From synchronizing information and communication, to streamlining workflow and addressing business requirements, ERP software has further enhanced business flexibility and efficiency with anytime-anywhere access to business-critical applications. However, one question still remains…Can one ERP solution address any specific business requirement? While no two companies or industries work alike, the flexibility and scalability of ERP software is an important concern. Crossroads RMC was born with a vision to tackle this challenge.

Beginning in 1984 with a primary objective to optimize manufacturing systems by unleashing the true potential of ERP solutions, Crossroads RMC embraces this challenge by extending the power of ERP. The firm focuses on offering a combination of services and software to optimize and integrate industry-leading ERP solutions into shop floors and warehouses. From technical consulting and diagnostic reviews to ERP implementation and upgrades, Crossroads RMC’s consulting and technical staff—with 13-34 years of experience in manufacturing and distribution—works hand in hand with their clients to significantly improve their overall business performance.

In his interview with CIO Applications, Rich Grilli, President of Crossroads RMC shares his insights into the company’s mission, vision, value proposition, and the industrial-grade ERP consultancy and solutions they bring to the table.

What are the challenges in the manufacturing and distribution arena and how does Crossroads RMC overcome them?

The main challenge in this arena is harnessing the full potential of ERPs so that manufacturers can remain competitive in the global market. Many manufacturers today run Business Planning and Control System (BPCS), Infor LX, Baan, and Infor LNERPs for superior manufacturing capabilities and flexibility. They often need help upgrading to current versions or require add-ons like portal software or shop floor control. Additionally, the merger and acquisition (M&A) activities also drive the need to consolidate systems.

What are the key products or services you offer to your clients?

We have a number of products built to support Infor ERPs specifically. The most popular ones are data collection, manufacturing execution systems (MES), supplier and dealer web portals, and analytics.

We also offer a variety of services such as functional and technical consulting, diagnostic reviews, and ERP implementations and upgrades.

To whom are your services targeted to and what are the benefits involved?

Our services are not targeted to any particular market segment. We assist all those who are running an older version of the ERP system and consult with them on whether they should upgrade or stay on their current version. Either way, we help businesses make the required transitions to harness the full potential of the ERP systems and get a good return on investment.

What are the distinct features or differentiating factors of Crossroads RMC that give it a competitive edge in the market?

Since its inception, Crossroads RMC has been carrying out its mission to optimize manufacturing systems. We’ve been doing this for 34 years, partnering with Infor for most of that time. Our company is an easy choice given the rich expertise and in-depth knowledge of ERP systems the staff possesses. Both our consulting and technical staff has a minimum of 20 years of experience with BPCS or Baan.

Could you share a client success story to highlight the benefits your solutions brought to your clients?

With a goal to remove all the shop floor paperwork and eliminate the manual recording of production and labor, Morrison Brothers went live with the Crossroads MES solution. The client achieved this goal in just 96 days from project kick-off to go live. Included in the go-live was the ability to deliver drawings electronically to the Crossroads MES workstations. This was a critical component of the implementation as it ensured each workstation would always be operating off the latest revision of the engineering documents.

Our company is an easy choice given the rich expertise and in-depth knowledge of ERP systems the staff possesses

Another one of our clients, Nyloplast, had manual processes for picking orders which were very error prone. Outbound data was generated by the ERP and all pick lists were printed separately. Picks were made in order of the pick lists printed, and shortages were handwritten on the pick tickets. Later, manual adjustments were made in the ERP system and outbound was manually released. Crossroads Data Collection software eliminated all paperwork from the picking process, increased operator efficiency by guiding the picker through the process, and reduced picking and shipping errors by 90 percent.

With continuous advancements in technology, how does your company intend to stay on top of the technology curve and steer ahead of its competitors?

We stay on top of the technology curve so that we are ready whenever our clients are ready. Our strategy is simple. We hire and retain the best talent in the world and we listen to our customers’ needs. Crossroads RMC is well-known for delivering on time and on budget projects, which go a long way towards acquiring new clients. A large portion of our business comes from long-term relationships within the Infor community.

What does the future hold for the company?

Our roadmap requires us to stay focused on our core competencies and grow our consulting practices along those lines. We are working to develop exciting new software products tailored specifically for the Infor space and release them into the marketplace for our clients to use. The clients can leverage our expertise and experience to get the best value for their projects from our products and services. We do tend to celebrate whenever our successful projects go live. We have been doing this for a long time, we enjoy our line of work, and we firmly intend to continue to do so in the coming years.