Argent used to track its operations in an ERP system from QAD. But the company’s end users found the system cumbersome—and its decision-makers grew concerned about the costs associated with the system. “Because we had installed QAD in-house, we had to purchase and maintain our own servers,” said Randy Garreston, System Administrator for Argent International. “We also found the upgrade process to be disruptive. Just when we’d get used to one version, they’d change it and we’d have to learn how to navigate a reconfigured interface.”

Kamco Industries, a subsidiary of Kumi Kasei, is a full-service provider of product design and manufacturer of injection, sheet molded, and Formed Fiber Felt products. The company faced several challenges in its operations. Firstly, its spreadsheet-based business processes were not meeting the requirements of major clients such as American Honda. Analyzing performance involved stacks of paperwork, which was time-consuming and inefficient. The IT department was spending too much time supporting business processes rather than providing a strong technology foundation. The year-end closing process required countless hours of overtime and took weeks to complete. Kamco's goal was to respond as quickly as possible to customer needs and tailor its business processes to the expectations of its largest clients. However, the company's existing systems and processes were not up to the task.