RUPES Go-Live
Services Provided
Process Optimization
Data Migration
RF Smart
Go-Live guidance
Date: 11/2/2021
Technologies: NetSuite, RF Smart
Team: Principal Consultant Emile Le Saux-Racette, Engagement Manager Ray McKenzie-Young, and Director Cassius Kellogg
RUPES is a family owned and operated Italian Company, founded in 1947 in Milan. RUPES has committed to product innovation and quality manufacturing for years and found that their expectations for growth did not match up to their current systems.
RUPES revolutionized the world of sanding by launching the first electric random orbital sander, BR 8 in 1968. Today, the company offers a wide array of Electric Tools such as polishers, sanders, and grinders, as well as pneumatic versions of each. Different consumables such as polishing compounds, polishing pads, car care, and film abrasives are also sold. Within the Louisville manufacturing facility, RUPES also has a workshop to showcase and do Research and Development for current and future product lines.
Headquartered in Louisville, CO, the operational management knew they needed to upgrade systems: their current Quickbooks and Fishbowl systems were no longer supporting their needs. NetSuite ended up being the system of choice for RUPES and they dove into the implementation effort.
Led and supported by CEO Rob Volkert, the RUPES team looked to Bryant Park Consulting (BPC) to revamp their processes. Engagement Manager Ray McKenzie Young and Principal Consultant Emile Le Saux-Racette were brought in to assist the core implementation team review the current NetSuite instance and optimize how the ERP system can be used. Core financials, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Manufacturing processes, alongside CRM functionality were all implemented within a short time frame. BPC helped the RUPES team understand the core functionality of NetSuite, and spent a lot of time understanding how RUPES operated to shape NetSuite to fit their needs. An initial week-long session of on-sites was conducted to review current system configuration, preferences, accounting setup, and manufacturing settings to ensure that how RUPES operates is how NetSuite is configured. Then, the team led RUPES through data mapping exercises to ensure all Customer, Vendor, and Employee data was accurate. Then came the bulk of the work: item configuration and uploads into the system. BPC used a sample-size approach by uploading a small list of each Item Type, then creating multiple Saved Searches to extract the current data list with all needed fields exposed. Then, additional uploads were performed to save the “Data Mappings” to reduce future workload at the time of Go-Live.
RF-Smart was also engaged, and scanners were set up for all in-warehouse functionality. Combined with automation provided by NetSuite, warehouse managers have significantly decreased their time doing manual tasks, and are now investing more time and energy into value-added warehouse functions.
Each process was reviewed thoroughly in UAT sessions with RUPES to ensure that NetSuite could support their core processes. Accounts Receivable, Returns, Accounts Payable, and all manufacturing processes alongside RF-Smart functionality were thoroughly reviewed. Reports and searches were customized alongside RUPES’ needs. Core, out of the box reports were reviewed first, and if a gap was identified, BPC worked to customize the columns, fields, and formats. Similarly, when a saved search was deemed necessary for ease of access to data or more complex formulas, the team worked to develop them. CASE formulas were used to single out specific use cases, for example identifying which Sales Orders the customer service role should commit to orders based on item availability and demand. This ensured a constant flow of processes, and utilizing the configured dashboards, team members were confident in doing their job function.
Dashboards and Roles were the next key piece of the implementation. Dashboards were created for each role that would be used by the RUPES team, then they were published so that each person logging into their role for the first time would get a clean look at the data they care about most. Portlets, report snapshots, KPI meters, KPI Scorecards, and Trend Graphs were all utilized to help team members get an accurate, quick assessment of their job functions and measurements.
BPC led RUPES through best practice for Go-Live in early October. Trial Balances were assessed for visibility into past historical performance, cutover of open A/R and A/P was performed, as well as opening balances and opening inventory. This meticulous approach ensured that RUPES felt comfortable during their go-live week that nothing was left behind and that when the system is turned on, NetSuite becomes the “System of Truth” for all operating purposes.
Pictured above, from left to right: Nate Schomer (Controller, RUPES), Emile Le Saux-Racette (Principal, BPC), Rob Volkert (CEO, RUPES), and Ray McKenzie-Young (Engagement Manager, BPC)
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Interested in RUPES’ products? Visit https://rupesusa.com/