Example - Request for Proposal for Multi-plant ERP software details
This writing example is an announcement from a company with two manufacturing plants operating under two diverse management programs. The purpose of this is to explain the characteristics of both plants. Explain the commonalities, differences, and the requirements of the software being requested. I am proud iof this work because it demonstrates my ability to understand complex business operations and describe them clearly in writing.
Here I will describe verbally, and in some images, the ERP applications operating at API and PNA. In many instances, I describe the data as we use it in our current systems. We are not asking you to keep it that way to operate in your proposed software package (Pkg). This information should provide a benchmark of features that would be good to have in your (Pkg). If your Pkg differs from our business methods, those differences will be discussed. Then we can determine what adaptations in business methods we may need to make. If there is not enough detail in this description, please email me or call me, and I will be happy to answer your questions and concerns. Here then, are the modules described.
Customers
API and PNA have customers numbering less than 5000. These customers are unique to each plant and categorized into Agricultural, Cable TV, Contractor, Data / Voice, Electrical, OEM, Recycling, and Telecom categories for marketing organization purposes.
A Customer is a business entity with one Billing Address and one or more Sales Offices. Many Sales Offices are Grouped using a Group Name. Sales are tracked both by the Customer Sales Office and the Customer Group.
Sales Reps
Numbering less than fifty each for PNA and API, Sales Reps are assigned to geographical areas. Customers within that area are assigned to the Rep for that area. Sales Order activity and resulting commissions are tracked using Customer and Sales Rep.
Products
Numbering into the thousands each, for PNA and API, Products are simple or complex molded or extruded plastic items. They have, in our current system, a descriptive ID that can be as many as forty characters accompanied by a description of up to two-hundred-fifty-four characters detailing the choice of options available to that product category. Some Products from API have a moderate Bill of Materials along with additional choices in materials.
The Product file also contains sizes, weight, packaging, colors, costs, and other information and options.
Quotes
Both plants manage production to complete orders for as many as four thousand customers, many active in the last three years. Orders are primarily obtained by the quotation process. Quotations are perhaps the most critical module in the Order processing chain of events.
The most important aspects of the quotation process for our plants are that a quote can be done quickly, that it provides the detailed adjustments to make it accurate, that it can simply provide the customer with alternatives, and that it be integrated with current inventory stock data and the shop floor schedule. PNA has this integration, and API does not. PNA processes 500-1000, and API processes 200-500 quotations per month. The Quote file contains the detail shown in the image below.
Quotes are created to respond to the customer request, sent for review, maybe more than once, until the quotation meets the customer’s needs. Quotation Approval by the customer triggers a roll of the Quote information into the Sales/Work Order.
Internal Sales Record
The Internal Sales Record is an accounting document based upon Quote Data that shows the price quoted for the primary product and each optionally charged in addition to that item.