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From Manual Production Entry to Automated Efficiency, WestMET Gains Visibility, Quality Control, and Full Product Traceability
Agriculture, Construction, Mining Machinery Manufacturing
Manufacturer of environmentally sustainable mineral, energy and technology products and services.
Lone Tree, Colorado, United States
51-200
eWorkplace Apps Process Manufacturing Suite and Quality Management Suite for Acumatica
WestMET is a leading provider of environmentally sustainable mineral, energy and technology products and services.
"With the way our process flow worked and with the quality module that was offered by eWorkplace Apps, once we chose Acumatica, it seemed like a natural pairing to go with eWorkplace Apps as well."
Before implementing the Process Manufacturing solution, WestMET’s production team had to manually enter production information.
For a processing operation involving multiple batch types and finished outputs, the challenge was not simply to replace manual data entry, but to create a production process that better reflected how WestMET actually operates. “One of the challenges before was having to manually do all our production entries in, but being able to use Super Batch, the flow of production entries has become much more streamlined by putting our total finished output. All relevant batch types are created, saving time every day on our end.” Says Thomas
Quality management was another area where WestMET had relied on manual processes. Quality information was maintained separately from production and ERP data, making it more difficult to maintain a connected view of manufacturing operations. “Before we were doing our quality management system through Excel. Now we have it all fully tracked and linked through Acumatica.” Says Thomas
WestMET needed greater visibility into the relationship between its mined materials, production activities, finished products, and sales. The separation between production and quality information also made it more difficult to establish comprehensive traceability across the manufacturing process. “The quality management system has allowed us to properly link quality testing to our finished goods, and then we’ve also been able to create traceability throughout our entire process from mined to finished sales goods.” Says Thomas
The Super Batch capability has reduced the amount of manual work involved in recording production. Instead of manually entering individual production information, WestMET can enter its total finished output and have the relevant batch types created through a streamlined workflow.
“With the Super Batches, we’re definitely saving 15 to 20 minutes every day, which definitely adds up over a full year.”
— Thomas Jones, Mine Engineer, WestMET
The Quality Management Suite has replaced WestMET’s previous Excel-based quality tracking process with quality information that is fully connected to Acumatica. Quality testing can now be linked directly to finished goods, providing a more structured connection between production and quality data. “Now we have it all fully tracked and linked through Acumatica.” says Thomas
One of the key improvements for WestMET has been the ability to establish traceability throughout its process from the mine through finished products and sales. This connected approach provides greater visibility into material movement and finished goods. “We’ve been able to create traceability throughout our entire process from mined to finished sales goods.” says Thomas
Previously, the team had to perform several tasks manually, particularly around quality information and reporting. With the eWorkplace Apps solution integrated into Acumatica, WestMET uses Generic Inquiries to customize tables and produce reports according to its specific requirements. “Stuff that we had to manually do before is now being automated through our Acumatica system.” says Thomas
“Finding out information is a lot easier, being able to use Generic Inquiries linked up with the eWorkplace Apps solution has been able to kind of customize the tables as we need to, to also be able to fully produce reports.”
— Thomas Jones, Mine Engineer, WestMET
Beyond operational efficiencies, the solution has improved collaboration and visibility across departments, helping users access the information they need while streamlining daily activities. “It’s helped give visibility to other users within Acumatica while streamlining what needs to be done on a daily basis.” says Thomas
“There are so many small efficiencies that can be picked up within the Process Manufacturing solution.”
— Thomas Jones, Mine Engineer, WestMET
Manufacturing, quality checks, and traceability were managed manually through paper documents and spreadsheets, resulting in heavy labor effort and limited visibility. “The biggest issue we had previously is we were on paper and just based off of spreadsheets. There was a lot of manual labour and effort involved in that,” says Jeff.
“Trying to do recall testing was quite manual. It involved referring back to paper records and spreadsheets and trying to piece together traceability,” says Jeff.
Traceability and mock recall exercises required searching through paper files and spreadsheets, making the process slow and inefficient.
As a dairy processor, butterfat levels in milk and cream fluctuate naturally. Recipes must be dynamically adjusted to maintain consistent product quality.
“Our recipes are essentially the same formula, but the inputs vary due to butterfat levels. eWorkplace helps us adjust those recipes dynamically based on butterfat levels,” says Jeff.
With short shelf lives inherent to dairy products, managing lot assignments and expiration dates required stronger system controls.
By implementing Acumatica with eWorkplace Apps Process Manufacturing & Quality Management Solution, Royal Crest Dairy digitized its manufacturing operations, bill of materials (BOM) calculations, and lot assignments. “With the move to Acumatica, we went digital, and eWorkplace Apps was instrumental in enabling that on the manufacturing side,” Jeff Hunter.
Material usage calculations are now automated within the ERP, and suggested materials are generated directly from defined BOMs. “The calculating of material usage in our BOMs was quite manual before. Now we have those calculations made within Acumatica itself,” says Jeff.
The company now benefits from automated lot tracking and significantly improved recall readiness. “Traceability is much improved with eWorkplace where it’s all digital and automated,” Jeff Hunter.
Quality controls are integrated across receiving, production, and batch processing, with configurable mandatory or optional tests.
“The flexibility with quality is really helpful — whether tests are mandatory or not, and the different trigger points during receiving or production,” says Jeff.
Quality checks ensure bacterial safety, correct mix formulations, and compliance at every stage.
Royal Crest Dairy produces many SKUs from a single parent batch. The Super Batch functionality enables efficient management of these relationships.
“Super batches is a really helpful feature for us. We have many SKUs produced off the same parent batch,” says Jeff.
Beyond technology, the eWorkplace Apps’ approach was a key factor in success. “The eWorkplace team was great to work with. They were willing to seek to understand our needs and made an onsite visit to configure the system the best way for us. They were very supportive, flexible, and willing to adjust to help us achieve our desired solution,” Jeff Hunter.
“Being on an ERP now brings greater accountability between departments. We know who’s transacting what, and there’s more visibility to the data,” says Jeff.
WestMET describes the implementation process as collaborative, responsive, and successful. The implementation team worked closely with internal stakeholders to understand manufacturing requirements and configure the solution accordingly.
“Our implementation team we worked with was quick and attentive.”
— Thomas Jones, Mine Engineer, WestMET
For WestMET, the process was also an opportunity to determine how its existing processes should translate into Acumatica. “It was a learning experience on our side as well to see, figuring out how we wanted to do things within Acumatica and then working with the implementation team to make that a reality.” says Thomas
With Super Batch streamlining production entries, Quality Management connecting testing to finished goods, and end-to-end traceability linking products back to the mine, WestMET now has greater control and visibility across its operations.
“If you’re looking to help give visibility to the sales team while still being able to help work on your day-to-day stuff, it’s been a big help for that aspect.” says ThomasAnd for organizations looking to improve visibility while maintaining efficient daily operations, Thomas sees particular value in the solution’s ability to make information accessible across the business.
"I would highly recommend the Process Manufacturing solution to anyone that believes it will be a fit with their current manufacturing process."
Successful Quality Management Implementation Tips with Acumatica Customers