The Challenge
Automating Complex, High‑Volume Job Creation
Once orders were captured online, they had to be converted into production jobs in SYSPRO’s Work In Progress (WIP) module. Many orders are highly specific, involving custom formulations that would be impractical to key in manually.
George Hayter, IT Manager at SA Premix, faced a choice:
- Build a hand‑coded integration from scratch, or
- Adopt an integration platform recommended by a SYSPRO consultant
As Hayter recalls, “We would never be able to add the jobs into WIP manually.” A reliable, scalable integration was essential to deliver the customer service standards SA Premix is known for.
Complex WIP job creation
E‑commerce orders with custom formulations had to become SYSPRO WIP jobs at volume; manual capture was not viable.
SYSPRO WIP automation in 3 months
Flowgear converted portal orders and formulations into structured SYSPRO WIP jobs, with over 100 tested workflows running automatically.
The Solution
Flowgear iPaaS Implemented in Just Three Months
SA Premix trialled Flowgear in January 2016 and moved to full go‑live by April – just three months later. During that period, the IT team built and tested more than 100 workflows covering varied integration needs and scenarios.
How it works:
- Orders captured on the e‑commerce portal include formulation requirements
- Flowgear converts them into structured jobs inside SYSPRO WIP
- Workflows run automatically and error‑free, removing the need for manual entry
The Results
Thousands of Jobs Created, Zero Errors
Within the first two months after go‑live, the workflows had generated more than 2,500 jobs in SYSPRO WIP.
Key benefits:
- No manual capture, avoiding both bottlenecks and costly errors
- Ability to handle complex formulations without slowing down operations
- Faster order‑to‑production cycle, improving customer service
1000s of jobs, zero errors
George Hayter, IT Manager at SA Premix, summed up the impact: “Being able to do that without errors is important for the customer service we aim to deliver.”
From orders to factory data
Next step is capturing PLC data on the plant floor through the same integration layer.
Looking Ahead
Extending Integration Beyond Orders
The SA Premix IT team continues refining and optimizing existing flows, and is preparing to apply Flowgear to new areas. Future plans include capturing data from PLCs (programmable logic controllers) on the factory floor to monitor and control machinery directly through the integration layer.