Sourcing and procurement of all components is undertaken in house to ensure that costs are controlled and that the customer gains true value.
Supply sources are under constant revue to ensure cost effective solutions are not compromised by either quality or performance.
Local, national or offshore suppliers are used dependent upon specifications laid down within the customer’s requirements. If it is the case that a more cost effective offshore component source is available, then Simtek have contacts, experience and trading history in these areas.
Simtek operates SAP Business One software on its’ own local server network.
SAP Business One is SAP’s business software for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that integrates customer relations management (CRM) with financial and logistics modules.
Business One contains 14 “core modules”:
1
Administration Module
Where configuration is performed.
2
Financials Module
Where various accounting and financial activities are conducted.
3
Sales Opportunities Module
Where existing customers and potential amounts are structured tracking.
4
Sales Module
Where orders are entered, shipped and invoiced.
5
Purchasing Module
Where purchase orders are issued and goods received into inventory.
6
Business Partners Module
Where Business Partners (customers, vendors, and leads) are contacted and maintained.
7
Banking Module
Where cash is received and paid out.
8
Inventory Module
Where Inventory is valued and managed.
9
Production Module
Where bill of materials is defined and manufacturing is tracked.
10
MRP Module
Where purchase and production planning takes place.
11
Service Module
Where after-service product are managed.
12
Human Resources Module
Where employee information is kept.
13
Reports Module
Where user-defined reports are generated (as printouts or Excel files).
14
E-commerce
Allowing customers to buy and sell online to consumers or other businesses.
RoHS compliance is ensured through the inventory tracking module which is used to flag all components that comply with the regulations. This information is automatically transferred to the Bill of Material (BOM) so that the RoHS status of any assembly can be checked instantaneously.
This module is also used to generate any procedural requirements for any moisture sensitive components – the “open packaging” exposure of which has to be carefully managed to avoid damage. Any component re-baking and vacuum sealing requirements are instructed within the inventory tracking module.
SAP Business One provides Simtek with the capability to track the progress of both components and assemblies from the “cradle to the grave”. The necessity to verify and prove that components are purchased from approved sources is coupled with the ability to back-track component batch codes in case of any possible unforeseen future problems.
This full traceability is essential for medical and life saving products and the capability is often demanded by our customers for this very reason.