FSB Secures Infor ERP LN to Streamline Production and Sales Processes

Producer of door fittings and locks chooses Infor to integrate its sites in Germany and USA

MUNICH  - Jul 04, 2011

Infor, a leading provider of business application software serving more than 70,000 customers, today announced that Franz Schneider Brakel (FSB), a producer of door and window hardware, is implementing Infor ERP LN at three sites in Germany and the USA. In a first step, FSB will substitute an ERP system by proALPHA with Infor ERP LN at its site in Groitzsch by January 1, 2012. Then FSB’s headquarters at Brakel will shift from Infor Baan IV to the new Infor ERP system. In addition Infor will replace QuickBooks at the US-American sales subsidiary. By implementing Infor ERP LN, FSB will consolidate its systems to be able to manage production and sales centrally. FSB was  founded in 1881 and grew from a pure-play producer of high-quality door fittings to a modern provider of all-inclusive solutions. The manufacturer provides door and window fittings, mechanical locks, electronic access control devices and biometric fingerprint scanners.

News Points

• FSB’s organisational structure grew more and more complex as the company added the location in Groitzsch (Germany) and sales subsidiaries in the USA, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Asia and extended the product portfolio by electronic components.
• At the headquarters in Brakel, Baan proved to be a powerful solution to handle the complex production processes. When searching for an integrated system for all sites, FSB evaluated other providers as well. But it turned out that with Baan’s successor, Infor ERP LN, FSB was able to model its production processes with much less effort than with similar competitors’ solutions.
• The multi site concept of Infor ERP LN helps FSB to abandon the former customer-supplier relationship between the German production and the US sales subsidiary. By settling intra-company deliveries internally, FSB streamlines administration and accounting processes and links departments closer together across borders.
• Infor ERP LN will support FSB to increase productivity by allowing more flexibility without causing additional cost. FSB manufactures unique fittings in small and bigger volumes, building a portfolio of 25,000 regular products and special orders. Infor ERP LN enhances visibility along the entire value chain.
• In addition, FSB offers all-inclusive solutions containing a variety of parts like door handles, locks and door stoppers. Not all parts are manufactured by FSB – some are imported and get stored and tailored in the USA. Here, Infor ERP LN serves as an agile planning tool to streamline processes. In the near future, FSB plans to implement Infor Xdex, Infor’s solution to manage compliance with customs regulations.
• FSB is currently introducing further projects with Infor. For its new product line of electronic access control devices, FSB will offer maintenance for the first time in the company’s history using the service module in Infor ERP LN.
• Furthermore, FSB will substitute its current barcode solution with Infor Barcode and introduce Infor Workflow to handle customer complaints and returns.

FSB quote
”For many years Baan handled even the most customized processes in our company,“ says Udo Brechmann, CEO at Franz Schneider Brakel. ”That’s why we as a manufacturer trust Infor – especially now during the IT consolidation period. Thanks to the high flexibility of Infor ERP LN, the in-depth know-how of Infor’s consultants and the comparatively low TCO we expect this project to be a success.”

Additional resources

• Infor ERP LN – http://www.infor.co.uk/product_summary/erp/ln

About FSB
As a producer of high quality door handles and fittings, FSB often acted as a trend setter during its 130 year history. Today the portfolio contains more than 25,000 parts with different materials and surfaces and a variety of form standards as well as object specific variations plus adequate accessories. Worldwide the brand has become well known as a supplier of door and window fittings made from materials like stainless steel, aluminum and bronze. At the same time FSB changes continuously and reacts to social and technical developments. With its no-barrier ErgoSystem®, FSB offers what an aging society needs. To deliver constant innovation, FSB now produces electronic access control devices and door handles with biometric fingerprint Scanners. More information is available online: http://www.fsb.de/English.

About Infor
Infor is a leading provider of business software and services, helping more than 70,000 customers in 164 countries improve operations and drive growth. To learn more about Infor, please visit www.infor.de.

For more information:
Tanja Hossfeld
+49 89 800611-115
tanja.hossfeld@infor.com

Jutta Deuschl / Diana Zahn
+49 89 173019-34 /-45
juttad@lewispr.com / diana.zahn@lewispr.com