UQM Technologies Streamlines Process with Consolidation & Upgrade

ASI’s relationship with UQM Technologies began in 2005 when the company first implemented SYSPRO’s Enterprise Resource Planning software. Six years later, UQM turned to ASI once again for an upgrade project, deciding it was time to upgrade to the newest version of SYSPRO and to gain some process improvements with the use of their ERP system by merging two existing companies into one.
 
UQM Technologies is a developer and manufacturer of electric power systems, specializing in vehicle propulsion systems. Throughout its history, UQM has worked on a number of interesting projects, including providing the electric drive system to power the Rolls-Royce 102 EX, electric-powered Phantom. UQM also developed the electric propulsion system for the Swigz.com pro-racing team, which went on to set a new world record for the top speed reached by an electric motorcycle at 190.6 mph. SYSPRO’s specific functionality for manufacturing companies has made it a good fit for UQM Technologies for several years.
 
The main driver for the upgrade and consolidation project was a decision by UQM’s leadership to streamline operations by tweaking the use of their ERP system. Management saw that there was no longer a need to keep their two companies separate. As such, UQM could save time in their accounting processes by consolidating the two historical companies into one.
 
One of the challenges of this project was the short timeframe. “ASI responded effectively to get resources on the project with such short notice,” said Jason Patterson, IT Manager at UQM Technologies. “In that regard, the project was a complete success.” ASI was able to kick off the project before the end of January, and had the necessary work completed in time so operations could continue as needed on April 1 when UQM’s new fiscal year began. Consultant Doris Brock was able to step in as the lead consultant to get the project finished on time, and Dave Mowrey provided additional assistance with his strong understanding of the manufacturing process flow.
 
Since completion of the project, UQM has seen significant time savings in their accounting processes. Without the duplication of entries between two companies, month-end accounting simply takes less time. While it is an investment to train users that had not previously been using the SYSPRO system, the ongoing time savings is expected to provide UQM with a positive ROI. In addition, The SYSPRO Reporting Services (SRS) is another benefit of version 6.1, providing UQM the powerful capability of customizing reports.
 
ASI recommends all clients perform periodic upgrades to their ERP software systems. This affords the client the latest features and functionality and ensures that the version they are running is supported by the vendor.
 
For more information on UQM Technologies, visit their web-site at http://www.uqm.com.
 

For more information on SYSPRO version 6.1, view a recorded webinar on our website featuring the improvements available in 6.1.