Introduction

Because of industry consolidation, supply chain rationalization and subsequent pressures on margins, competition in the specialty chemicals industry is brutal. Add to this the pressures of meeting regulatory demands and responding to environmental activism and health-and-safety concerns, the skills and capabilities required of special chemical companies to stay ahead of the competition and differentiate offerings are:

• Speed,
  
• Flexibility,
  
• Innovation, and
  
• Service

As the provider of Sage PFW ERP, the world’s most widely used PC-based process manufacturing solution, Sage Software understands that specialty chemicals companies need more from an ERP vendor than just a list of features, but a global business partner who can help you deal with the pressures of industry changes. With sales of over $600 million and more than 2.7 million customers worldwide, Sage provides specialty chemical manufactures not only world class products but also world class support, training, financial stability and technical expertise upon which to grow your business for years to come.

Solutions for Specialty Chemical Companies

Sage PFW ERP, Sage’s process manufacturing solution for the mid-market, provides companies in the specialty chemicals industry a competitive edge in meeting key strategic objectives. Because Sage PFW ERP reflects over 20 years of continuous development in helping customers succeed, it is widely recognized as the industry defacto standard for functional richness. The following are highlights of Sage PFW ERP strength by strategic need:

Industry Consolidation

The fine chemicals industry is growing at an annual rate of up to 10 percent for the foreseeable future. With several hundred companies active in the field, it's still a fragmented market, with the top 25 companies accounting for just under 25 percent of its total value. Fragmented markets and margin pressure create a natural desire to consolidate in order to bring economies of scale into the competitive mix.

Whether you are a public or closely held company, consolidation is a fact of life. Sage Software understands that in order to deal with consolidating competition, you need speed, flexibility, innovation and superb customer service. That’s why we’ve designed Sage PFW ERP to provide advanced functionality to “level the playing field” such as:

• Comprehensive Quality Control - From formulas through production and ticketing, quality control is coordinated through the streamlined integration of Sage PFW ERP modules.
  
• Customization Capabilities - Customization capabilities provide enhanced batch-ticket functionality.
  
• Flexible Batch Status - Variable batch size and status options enable streamlined batch management.
  
• Insightful Reports - Extensive, instant reporting capabilities keep you on the pulse of your company’s operations.
  
• Powerful Automation - Automated scheduling and lot tracking capabilities ensure that production stays on track.
  
• Flexible Formulas - Extensive formula capabilities empower your technicians with the tools they need to cost effectively develop and analyze formulations.
  
• Powerful Formula Utilities - Powerful utility options extend formula management capabilities for maximum functionality.
  • Formula Revision Tracking
    
  • Formula Sizing
    
  • Formula Storage and Retrieval
    
  • Multi-Level Ingredient
    
  • Master Formulas Format and Printing
    
  • Quality Control
    
  • Unit of Measure Conversion

Globalization of the Supply Chain

The major pharmaceutical companies operate globally and would prefer to work with partners that also operate on that scale. As a global company itself with operations in 56 countries, Sage is uniquely qualified to assist specialty chemical manufacturers with the complex demands that far flung supply chains place on vendor quality management, recipe/formulation management, lot tracking and EDI. Sage PFW manufacturing provides many powerful capabilities through its advanced features to help chemical companies deal with global sourcing:

• Multi-currency capability
  
• Multi-language
  
• On-water tracking via Serialized Shipment Container Codes
  
• Automated vendor lead-time management
  
• Enterprise-wide planning and budgeting
  
• Vendor quality management
  
• EDI
  
• Material Requirements Planning
  
• Lot tracking by lot number, bin number, expiration date
  
• Full AP integration
  
• QC test results entered upon receipt
  
• Contract management
  
• Support for formulation and batch size adjustments for ingredient potency
  
• Monitor Key Performance Indicators for currency fluctuations, out standing payables, days inventory in transit with business alerts

Meeting Regulatory Demands

In today’s competitive environment, compliance issues represent another key strategic front. Pharmaceutical customers will outsource to companies that can ensure compliance with all environmental, safety and FDA regulations. In support of companies with active participation in the industry-wide Responsible Care® program and ISO 14001 certification for environmental management, Sage PFW manufacturing provides fine chemical companies support for regulatory management with:

• Streamlined MSDS Automation - From automatic MSDS generation and updates to physical property calculations, you’ll experience a higher level of streamlined efficiency in MSDS compliance.
  
• Powerful Customization - Sage PFW ERP puts you in complete control of the format and content of your Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) including accommodating new regulations and supporting multi-lingual needs.
  
• Insightful Reporting - Extensive reporting capabilities include SARA Title III, Title Tier I & II, Boilerplate Masterfile Variance, Boilerplate Where-used in Override, as well as, Supplementary.

Rapid Response to Customer Needs

Pharmaceutical customers want flexibility. They want suppliers that can produce small quantities, sometimes just a few kilograms for trials. They also want suppliers that will rapidly gear up for production. Suppliers need employees, ERP software, pilot plants and production facilities that are all flexible. Fine chemicals companies also need to be reliable. Getting products to market quickly is vital for pharmaceutical customers. They want suppliers that can produce the right quantities and are efficient enough to keep costs down.
Sage PFW ERP is specifically designed to allow you to not only be faster and more accurate in operations but also be able to flexibly react to customer needs:

• “One stop” order entry providing same screen access to:
  • Customer history
    
  • Contract data
    
  • Custom pricing tables
    
  • Production data
    
  • Inventory data
    
  • Substitution data
• Option to launch batch orders from order entry
  
• Advanced material planning features
  • Material shortage analysis wizard
    
  • 7 different methods of automated batch sizing
    
  • Automatic unit of measurement for formulation and batches
    
  • “Backflush” material requisitioning
• “After the fact” purchase order processing for expedited purchases
  
• Option for formulation adjustments on batch ticket
  
• Automated Material Safety Data Sheet maintenance and printing