D2G – Using Salesforce to tie together a group of mechanical engineering companies.
D2G is a group of Czech mechanical engineering companies active in the fields of industrial automation and robotisation, and it produces both single-purpose machines and automated assembly lines. AspectWorks has provided solutions to D2G for more than four years, first for one of D2G’s founding companies, Deimos, and later with additional companies in the group.
When AspectWorks first started working with Deimos, one of the tasks it had was to create a unified project management tool that would enable the management and monitoring of production, capacity, time and project costs. Deimos chose a solution based on Salesforce, which let them replace outdated tools and systems, including a number of very complex Excel spreadsheets and other applications. The new system was able to create GANTT charts and interactive spreadsheet-like tables based on the data it was collecting. The Salesforce-powered system also enabled D2G to take advantage of its native mobile apps and multilinguality.
In later phases, AspectWorks provided integration of D2G’s Helios ERP system with Salesforce through a custom Java application that enabled two-way, real-time data flow between the two platforms. The system now tracks orders and invoices, as well as sharing information from Helios into Salesforce, where time- and effort-saving repetitive tasks can be automated, such as setting up rules for the automatic approval of orders below a certain value. D2G’s managers also wanted the new system to automatically send orders to suppliers when a new order was filed.
Salesforce’s ease of use was a crucial adoption factor inside D2G, and the new system is much more popular with its users. One function that has proven to be very useful involves tracking employee vacation requests, which can be approved both on desktop computers as well as on smartphones. This app is connected directly with D2G’s project management module.
An automated process was created to create orders to suppliers. Electronic documents in PDF format are generated automatically based on data from Salesforce, and are sent to suppliers for delivery deadline confirmation. Using Salesforce’s Sites functionality, suppliers are also able to provide information themselves to the system on when they will deliver.
Managing growth while remaining flexible for the future
As the cooperation between D2G and AspectWorks has developed, the group has been able to save time in a number of ways, including the automation of repetitive tasks, to modernise its processes, to take advantage of the possibilities provided by updated tools. In addition, D2G has increased its ability to handle orders and has taken advantage of Salesforce’s cloud architecture to enable access to key information from smartphones, including input from the field. The flexibility of the Salesforce platform, combined with AspectWorks’ high-quality software development expertise, has meant that the engineering group has been able to reap the benefits of both a world-class standardised platform and an implementation team capable of providing highly-customized solutions on that platform.
Value adds
- AspectWorks approached the project from the standpoint of the customer
- Custom solutions development
- Post-implementation service
- Tailored trainings
- Developed an intuitive and, to a certain extent, automated system
