Smith & McLaurin Standardise Systems and Boost Productivity with Indigo Software and Infor System21 Aurora

Established in 1849, Smith & McLaurin is a well-respected name in the labelling industry.  As a leading manufacturer of materials for pressure sensitive self-adhesive labels (PSLs), tickets and tags, Smith & McLaurin supplies material to printers that serve leading retailers, beverage manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and logistics businesses.  End user applications are as varied as shampoo bottles, security tags, bottled drinks and car park ticket machines and because of this diversity, the demands made on the Smith & McLaurin products are often very complex.

Having developed an enviable reputation for innovation and customer service, 65% of the Smith & McLaurin business is in UK, with the remaining 35% spread across Europe. 

Modernising Systems

With a strategy focused on doubling its turnover in the next three years, (in 2013) Smith & McLaurin embarked upon a project to review and modernise its systems. 

Working with Infor partner Indigo Software, the team decided to upgrade its plethora of legacy systems which had been subject to heavy customisation over the years, to Infor System21 Aurora on new IBM servers.  One of the key benefits of the upgrade was that the solution, which includes the new Infor Workspace user interface (UI), integrates fully with Smith & McLaurin’s other applications.  This means that production management, which generates information that identifies batch numbers, production specifics and customer orders, and document management, feed data into Infor System21 Aurora to create greater visibility and insight into the business, and support seamless production.

Another key benefit of the upgrade was the simplification of business processes and the IT that supports them.  Of approximately 80 customisations that were highlighted in the course of the upgrade, Smith & McLaurin carried forward just seven - a drastic reduction in complexity.  Much of this simplification was the removal of historical, legacy changes made by Smith & McLaurin’s own RPG programmers as these changes had been succeeded by the “out of the box” System21 functionality.  One example of this has been the replacement of printing related modifications within System 21, as a result of the better integration with its document management system, CobWebb.

Seeing the Benefits

The benefits of Smith & McLaurin’s upgrade to Infor System21 Aurora are three-fold.  Firstly, the standardised processes and reports based on management by exception have helped to reduce manual error and generate greater visibility across Smith & McLaurin’s business.  This has already helped to improve agility and speed of operations, boost productivity and deliver enhanced levels of customer service.

Secondly, the Infor WorkSpace user interface, which moves away from a forms-based approach to deliver a consumer grade experience akin to one you might expect of e-commerce or social media, has helped re-engage the workforce with the ERP system and improved the way in which staff work.  This has helped to achieve buy-in to Infor System21 Aurora and ensure consistency as the business evolves.

Finally, the integration of System 21 and CobWebb - and the resulting capability to email invoices and purchase orders - has cut stationery, postage and fax costs, as well as improving the positioning and presentation of Smith & McLaurin to its customer base. 

Overall, Smith & McLaurin now has a system that is far more reliable with a much reduced risk of down time, faster server performance and quicker back-up, meaning less system outage.  Smith & McLaurin also anticipates that updates to the application will be quicker and more cost effective because of the fewer customisations.

Superior Service

Colin Gray, IT manager, Smith and McLaurin explained: “Very early on, it became apparent that this upgrade was the ideal opportunity to not only improve our processes, but deliver a platform that could help us grow.

“By upgrading and leaping ahead eight releases we have seen a rapid development of our integration capabilities but we knew it would be a big project.  The support we received from Indigo Software has been outstanding, and combined with the functionality within Infor System21 Aurora, we have achieved our aims.

“We now have a much greater say in the software and as a result it is more suited to specific roles, increasing productivity.  For example, by removing screens in data entry processes we have reduced the risk of errors and improved efficiency.

“We are known for our superior customer service, being able to react faster, quick to offer technical advice and proactive when it comes to finding solutions to our customers problems.  Our expectation of service from Infor and Indigo Software was exactly the same, and the highly professional and rigorous approach from Indigo staff, combined with the improved functionality of Infor System21 Aurora, meant that we weren’t disappointed.  Both Indigo and Infor have delivered to help us achieve our goal - to create a modern platform which would enable us to double our business - rather than spending time and resources worrying about maintaining outdated systems.”

ends