E-MAX

E-MAX is a company active in the extrusion of aluminum profiles. The company was looking for an integrated business solution that would be modern, cost-effective, and quickly implementable. The choice fell on Microsoft Dynamics, which was implemented by IT partner Offimac. With an average annual growth of 25%, E-MAX grew into a substantial SME, spread across three locations in Belgium and the Netherlands. Today, Microsoft Dynamics at E-MAX contributes to the smooth handling of business processes – from order processing and capacity planning to transport preparation. In a rapidly changing market, E-MAX particularly values the flexibility and user-friendliness of the Microsoft Dynamics platform and the smooth collaboration with IT partner Offimac.

The acquisition of E-MAX by the renowned industrialist Jos Vaessen in 2001 gave the commercial strength of the still young extrusion company an extra boost. Between 2001 and 2008, E-MAX grew by an average of 25% each year, and the company was named a ‘Trends Gazelle’ in Limburg for several consecutive years.

How it all began

E-MAX deliberately opted for a standard solution rather than custom development. As a young company, it could easily adapt its processes to the new software. The choice ultimately fell on the Microsoft Dynamics platform. IT partner Offimac from Hasselt was appointed to implement the package and adapt it to E-MAX’s specific requirements – a process that ran smoothly thanks to the standard functionalities of the Offimac Manufacturing add-on module.

User-friendliness in Sales and Financial Management

Robert Zegveld, Sales Director at E-MAX: “Microsoft Dynamics offers everything a true ERP package should, but with added user-friendliness and flexibility. You don’t need an extensive team to maintain the package. And a new employee doesn’t even need training to learn how to work with the package: a concise manual is sufficient.”

Thanks to Microsoft Dynamics, the commercial handling of projects proceeds very smoothly. Marc Roosen, Financial and Administrative Manager at E-MAX: “An invoice is created in no time as soon as an order leaves for the customer: all information is already in the system. And with a few mouse clicks, we can export data to Excel for further analysis, if necessary.”

“As a commercial manager, I want quick access to the current status of Order Intake. Jet Reports, an additional tool on top of Microsoft Dynamics, ensures that I receive the correct reports on my desk daily,” adds Robert Zegveld.

Production Process

The production process in an extrusion company like E-MAX is relatively simple, although there are some hidden complexities. Heavy aluminum rods serve as raw material, which are made malleable by heating and then pressed through a die to form the aluminum profiles into the shape desired by the customer.

If a new die shape is involved, the order from the customer is usually accompanied by a drawing that describes the desired profile in detail. The first production cycle then results in a trial version, accompanied by the necessary measurement reports, which are presented to the customer before proceeding to actual production.

Capacity Planning

IT partner Offimac incorporated several functionalities into Offimac Manufacturing that were not present as standard functionalities in Microsoft Dynamics. This included the ability to efficiently manage the capacity planning of the machines.

Robert Zegveld: “E-MAX has multiple production lines. Our objective is to ensure that we utilize our production capacity to the maximum. Therefore, we must always have an overview of the current machine occupancy and be able to immediately reserve the necessary capacity for customer orders. The system performs this task excellently.”

Post-treatment

After the extrusion itself, the aluminum profiles undergo several further processes: stretching, cutting to the correct length, a hardening process, and finally packaging and preparing for transport. In some cases, the profiles are also externally post-treated, for example, by powder coating or anodizing.

Microsoft Dynamics ensures that the post-treatment of items also proceeds smoothly and is used for various checks. For example, some finished profiles must be weighed before proceeding to packaging. It is Microsoft Dynamics that co-manages this process: the information from the scale is automatically sent to Microsoft Dynamics, which compares the scale information with the expected weight entered with the order.

Microsoft Dynamics is also an indispensable tool today when preparing for transport: “The system allows you to group items as you wish. Few companies can say that one person can handle 15 trucks in a single day,” says Zegveld.

Responding to Market Changes

E-MAX has already undergone many changes. “Acquisitions, expansions, new market needs… As an SME, you must be able to respond quickly to changes in market conditions. And Microsoft Dynamics is precisely a platform that allows you to respond quickly to those changes,” states Robert Zegveld.

One concrete example of these new market needs is how E-MAX handles inventory. The company not only needs to control inventory in its own warehouses but often places goods on consignment with external companies where they undergo further post-treatment. This aspect of logistical processing must also be controlled by the business system.

Collaboration with Offimac

Robert Zegveld: “At E-MAX, we have remained true entrepreneurs: once a decision is made, we quickly move to action. Our IT partner Offimac essentially shares our mentality and consistently responds quickly with us. What greatly helps is that they understand our business excellently and proactively think along with us. And partly because of this, we have been collaborating successfully and with pleasure for over 20 years.”