Paints and Coatings Industry

Introduction
Paint and Coatings Industry magazine annually ranks the 10 largest and 50 largest coatings companies in the world and US respectively. Sage PFW ERP is used by 7 of the 10 largest companies in the world and by 24 of the 50 largest coating companies in the US. Why?

Solutions for Paint and Coatings Manufacturers
From its earliest versions created by process software pioneer Randy Peck, to the current 5.01 release, Sage PFW ERP has always been recognized as the industry standard for technical completeness and functional richness. Helping you respond to an increasingly competitive marketplace driven by rapid technological change, demands for faster order turnaround, pressure to decrease batch cycle times and industry consolidation is what we do better than anyone else:

Rapid Technological Change
Pigment and color houses, resin suppliers, additive, solvent, and specialty chemical contributors as well as equipment and application manufacturers are continuing to challenge conventional formulations and manufacturing techniques with new PVC concepts, solubility parameters and color theory, to name but a few technology drivers. As we continue to break down the rigid barriers of high solids, waterborne, radiation and powder, Sage PFW ERP's rich laboratory and formulation development features help our customers fine-tune and adapt these technologies to today's market requirements and pricing objectives. Once those formulations have been developed, Sage PFW ERP's premier capabilities in production, material planning and finance assist paint and coatings manufacturers move these products to market quickly and with minimum wasted motion. Highlights of some of the features that help Sage PFW ERP customers deal with changing coatings technologies:

• "What if" physical properties analysis
  
• Automatic reformulation based on target physical property values and cost
  
• Comparative properties analysisStandard physical properties
  
• Unlimited custom physical properties definitions
  
• Search formulas based on physical properties such as VOC, bulking factor, percent pigment, pigment-to-binder ratio, etc.
• 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 quality variations, price variations, margin variations
  

Rapid Turnaround of Customer Orders
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
  

Industry Consolidation
The worldwide coatings market is in a process of consolidation. Though growth opportunities are still developing with technology switches driven by environmental considerations and growth in mature markets is expected to remain inline with the overall economic growth, large companies are increasingly pressuring mid-market companies by combining with competitors. As the provider of Sage PFW ERP, the world's most widely used PC-based process manufacturing solution, Best Software understands that paint and coating companies need more from an ERP vendor than just a list of features, but a business partner who can help you deal with being first on the firing line of industrial consolidation. With sales of over $600 million and more than 2.7 million customers worldwide, Best provides paint and coating 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.