Smart Coffee Machines Get Smarter Purchasing with ERP Add-On

The Challenge

For manufacturers of smart coffee machines, managing raw material procurement is a constant challenge. With complex bills of materials spanning electronic components, mechanical parts, and specialized brewing elements, the purchasing team needed precise visibility into what to order, when to order it, and how much to buy.

“The big problem we have is knowing exactly which raw material was needed to be purchased (qty & date) based on BOM, minimum quantity to order and basic costing,” explained Claude R., highlighting the daily frustration of operating without integrated material requirements planning.

The Solution

The company turned to Resource Manager-DB (RMDB) from User Solutions as an affordable MRP add-on that could integrate directly with their existing ERP system. Unlike standalone planning tools, RMDB connected seamlessly with the company's current software infrastructure, enabling automatic MRP calculations without replacing any existing systems.

“We chose Resource Manager-DB because it was the only affordable program available where we could link to our existing ERP system and have MRP calculated,” said Claude R. The ability to leverage existing ERP data while adding advanced purchasing intelligence made the decision straightforward.

Key Results

After implementing Resource Manager-DB, the purchasing department experienced a significant increase in efficiency. The team could now see exactly which materials were needed, in what quantities, and by what dates, all calculated automatically from production schedules and bills of materials.

“The biggest benefit with using Resource Manager-DB is the increased efficiency in purchasing department,” confirmed Claude R. By eliminating manual calculations and guesswork, the smart coffee machine manufacturer could focus on optimizing supplier relationships and reducing lead times rather than tracking spreadsheets.

— Claude R.