Case study Bergmann Automotive | BE-terna

Customer:
Bergmann

Bergmann Automotive, a sought-after partner in the automotive industry as a specialist in cylinder liners, evaluated the market for ERP systems for SMEs.
The winner: Microsoft Dynamics NAV. As rollout partner, the management opted for BE-terna Industry Solutions GmbH, based in Sindelfingen. The company’s industry expertise, past projects and profound project experience in SMEs were key factors.

Successful go-live in just three months

The company now known as Bergmann Automotive was founded by Alfred Tewes in 1956 on the site of a former coal mine. The piston ring and cylinder liner production was given the name ATE. Several years later, under the management of the TRW and US DANA Group, the foundry and production of cylinder liners and centrifugally cast pipes was bought up by the family company Bergmann Maschinenbau from Meppen in March 2000. By making significant investments in the machinery and foundry, Bergmann was able to considerably increase the number of cylinder liners produced.

The initial situation

Because of the strong company growth, the production system introduced in the early 2000s was reaching its limits. It was to be replaced by a standard system: SAP, Microsoft Dynamics AX or Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Bergmann Automotive decided on a solution especially for automotive suppliers, based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and commissioned the industry experts BE-terna with the rollout.

The project success

With BE-terna's Automotive solution, Bergmann Automotive achieved greater revenue, despite barely increasing the number of employees. BE-terna rolled out the system within one quarter and impressed with its EDI expertise. All customers are connected to the robust and powerful system. The automotive solution has all sector-specific factors covered. In its handling and its costs, the solution perfectly meets the requirements of an SME such as Bergmann Automotive.

Seamless collaboration and transparent processes

Scale and costs tailored to SMEs

As a replacement for the previous system, with stand-alone solution add-ons, the choice was narrowed down to three alternatives: SAP, Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Microsoft Dynamics NAV was found to be the best choice for Bergmann Automotive, not least for economic reasons. Bergmann Automotive manager Bernhard Büthe:

The scale and the price are precisely tailored to suit an SME.

Then came the matter of selecting a rollout partner. “We wanted to have a ready-made solution,” said Jan Jocksch, project manager at Bergmann Automotive. In other words, software that covered all sector-specific aspects.

Impressive EDI expertise

One crucial criterion was the connection to the various systems of the manufacturer and other customers from the supplier field via EDI. “BE-terna was able to provide this,” said Jan Jocksch. The list of past projects also worked in favour of the software company from Sindelfingen, which is part of the BE-terna company group that has further branches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The Bergmann project manager found in the project list “very many companies of the same size and with similar requirements.” The supplier thus decided on BE-terna's industry solution for automotive suppliers, which is based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV.

From zero to a hundred in just one quarter

Basic framework set up in three months

Thanks to the flexibility of the rollout partner, special requirements could be realised and EDI interfaces with external suppliers were implemented quickly. Bergmann now works with a system that will gradually be used to handle all processes. The basic framework was implemented to production start-up in just one quarter.

When the conditions are right, the basic functions can be rolled out in three months,

said Jan Jocksch. “We will admit,” he said, “that implementing the requirements of our customers in detail without delay did take some work in the first year of production. Our rollout partner was called upon to rectify faults quickly and skilfully.” Bergmann Automotive currently uses the system in purchasing and in order processing.

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Greater revenue – same workforce size

Purchasing and order processing via industry software

Scrap dealers, tool manufacturers, suppliers of packaging material and many other materials for foundries: the cylinder liner specialist obtains supplies from roughly 3,500 companies. The order processing, warehousing, registration of incoming goods and loading equipment management are performed in the new system. Bergmann Automotive also calls off orders via EDI in BE-Automotive. The logistics, dispatch, invoicing and credit note procedure are processed within the software.

Competitive advantages

The industry solution is also set to be used in accounting and as a planning system for material – and ultimately in production. “We don’t want to be too hasty, as we cannot afford the slightest discrepancies in our processes,” said Bernhard Büthe. When it comes to being competitive, manufacturing out-standing products is not enough.

Our good reputation and the economic success it brings is also the result of the excellent process quality that we are known for.

With the rollout of the industry software for purchasing and order processing, the first steps have been taken towards maintaining quality in the long term.

Project results

EDI processes handled to VDA guidelines
No manual entry of call-offs
Simplified processing in sales
Increased transparency and reduction of resource allocation

Business advantages

Transparency in automotive processes
Process- and communication-optimised through use of modern IT systems
Optimisation of existing workflows within the system and integration of tasks located outside the system
Customer processing completed faster

About Bergmann Automotive

Be rgman n Automotive is a sought-after partner in the automotive industry and one of the sector’s market leaders. With over 40 years of experience, the company from Lower Saxony is the partner of choice for the manufacture of high-quality cylinder liners. Furthermore, Bergmann Automotive provides services from material to standard part and boasts short cycle times in production, achieved reliably in cutting-edge processing centres engineered by Bergmann.

Industry: Automotive
Products: high-quality cylinder liners
Headquarters: Barsinghausen (DE)
Employees: 300

Bergmann Automotive – Fired up for Dynamics NAV