Syspro functions as our manufacturing software and feeds the financials for our company. We use one company and 27 cost centers and multiple work centers.
Pros
It tracks inventory well
Purchasing is seamless
Queries are incredible, SQL backbone makes it easy to write reports.
Cons
We have been using 6.0 and the security is not so good.
The program is a bit difficult to learn for rollout
The Learning Channel could be improved - downloadable mp4's would be nice to include in the program vs moving back and forth to the learning channel. Since the program is difficult to learn, it would be nice to be able to utilize the learning channel within the program. Also, the learning channel is pretty complicated to use.
Likelihood to Recommend
Although the program can be very complicated, I would recommend it. I have worked with other ERP systems and this is versatile and has some bugs but overall is a great system.
We use SYSPRO from cradle to grave for all of our business operations. We begin the process with the Contact Management, Quotation modules and continue on to the Sales module to kick off our processes that flow down to purchasing and manufacturing. As soon as a Sales order is generated, the Planning Department starts their planning by creating a bill of materials to manufacture the product. Purchasing then kicks off their workflow to order materials, hardware, etc...several processes, which frequently happen concurrently. After planning completes the BoMs they generate a Manufacturing Shop Order (MSO) that flows to our raw materials department that will use Syspro to receive in the materials ordered for each job. The material and MSO then flow into the manufacturing department to fabricate the product(s). Data collection is performed outside of Syspro, however, the data collected is automatically imported into Syspro for processing and analysis. After manufacturing is complete, the product is verified by the Quality Assurance Department. The product, along with any required certifications is forwarded to the shipping department for processing and shipment to the customer.
As you can see, with very little exception, SYSPRO is part of nearly every process that flows product through our facility. We do use third party integrated products for data collection, however, SYSPRO accepts integrations via their Business Objects access and APIs.
Pros
If you are a small or medium business, SYSPRO is a great fit due to its flexible design. If you perform warehousing and inventory management Syspro performs these functions very well.
SYSPRO has been around since 1978 and it shows in its development and support. I have been through several re-sellers for our support function, however we have now moved to SYSPRO corporate for our technical support and development/customizations. SYSPRO corporate supports their customers VERY well.
The SYSPRO interface is highly customizable and nicely laid out. Even with the basic implementation, you can still get off the ground and run without performing too many modifications.
SYSPRO forms and reporting templates are easy to customize/modify.
Cons
The ability to create custom dashboards and retrieve information from SYSPRO in ways that are easier to visualize the data. Executive level reporting.
Integration into Active Directory to allow use of single sign on.
Security groups and roles are difficult to navigate and vague when trying to determine what user should have as far as rights in the system go. There should be pre-canned groups that include full functionality for a specific function, for example; Purchasing vs Purchasing Manager or Estimator vs Estimation Manager.
Performing upgrades can be a bit nerve racking. Syspro does a great job at implementing improvements/fixes/customer suggestions, however, you must carefully research the updates as to not "break" anything.
Likelihood to Recommend
If your company is an ISO or AS9100 type company that needs to maintain traceability of your products throughout the manufacturing process this is a good fit. Additionally, it performs well with inventory tracking and warehouse management. If you as just a basic job shop that just needs basic functions such as inventory, scheduling, work orders, etc...I would recommend using a product more manageable and less expensive such as ShopTech E2 Systems.
VU
Verified User
Manager in Information Technology (51-200 employees)
Syspro is used across our whole organization. We use it to control our Sales process along with Shipping and Distribution, as well as our Manufacturing and Fabrication operations. All of these areas then feed directly to the Accounting section which allows us to have a very accurate picture of our entire operation at a glance at any point in time.
Pros
Syspro is very customizable yet still remains upgradable. This is a VERY important feature that is often overlooked. We can write (or have it written for us) small customizations that get executed at "trigger points" which helps make the software conform to our operations instead of the other way around.
User Interface is very intuitive and simple to use. Very well designed and again fully customizable by the individual user or by the Role as an administrator.
The Real-time G/L is a huge time-saver as well as giving managers and executives up to the minute views of critical data in real-time.
Cons
Support is generally Very Good, but I have seen times where the response is a bit slow. At least slower than I would like and maybe my expectations are too high...
Likelihood to Recommend
Almost, since day one Syspro has been saving us time and making us more productive as a whole. We have been able to grow our revenue exponentially with keeping our personnel needs at nearly the same level. Syspro is a great system for an organization that has multiple needs like Distribution and Manufacturing and/or multiple locations.
Syspro 7 is used across the whole organization touching on enterprise resource planning (ERP) with Material requirements planning (MRP as a just in time solution), sales, invoicing, purchasing, reports and finances. The business problems being addressed vary from keeping track of inventory between two separate lines of business on four provinces to tracking consumer trends and rewards.
Pros
Syspro 7 offers plenty of customization. If there isn't a solution currently made to fix your needs, we've found them to be accommodating in working with us to create one.
Tracking inventory, sales, invoices and purchasing.
A continually improving the user interface and Syspro does that in spades.
Cons
If not tamed, a new user can be overwhelmed by all the data. This can require some work based on the size of the company.
Java is used so the desktops will require any updated to be monitored or to use a RemoteApp approach to distribute to workstations.
The installation isn't as smooth as I'd hoped.
Likelihood to Recommend
Like many ERP systems, IT departments will attempt to use Syspro to manage their data better or more effectively. As the old adage states: "Garbage In, Garbage Out". The system will work only so well if data entry is flawed. This product seems a better fit for a mid to large size company with a single invested staff member managing Syspro.
SYSPRO is the core ERP used by the organization. We use SYSPRO for order processing, shipments, supply chain, Work in Progress (WIP) and assembly jobs, labor tracking and inventory etc. SYSPRO is used across the board by all departments. We also utilize SYSPRO in our e-commerce systems by interfacing the customer-facing websites (B2C and B2B) with SYSPRO for order imports. Order statuses and shipment information are relayed back to the websites from SYSPRO.
Pros
Integrations with peripheral applications e.g. eCommerce websites.
SYSPRO does this very well through the use of it's web services and e.NET business objects. This makes integrations very easy.
Non-stocked configurable product production and management.
Through the use of SYSPRO's product configurator, configurable products are easily set-up and managed by the use of selections, criteria and tying it to parts. This is particularly useful for companies that produce configurable products and want to give their customers the ability to customize.
Document Management.
Out of the box, SYSPRO provides document management through crystal reports (Syspro Reporting service Reports and Documents for invoices, order acknowledgements etc.).
Accounting functions like Nightly Processing, Month end closing, General Ledger set-up etc. are easy to set-up and manage in SYSPRO.
Cons
The hard client is old technology. It would be great if SYSPRO moved to a web based platform.
SYSPRO's REST API isn't as advanced as it's web services. Improving the REST APIs would be awesome!
Completely switching to SQL and getting rid of the .DAT files. It's old technology, not secure and leaves room for data corruption.
Improving on the row locking mechanisms in the base code. Results in several instances where SQL has blocks and processes need to be killed.
Likelihood to Recommend
Well suited: Mid-sized company using it for manufacturing in areas such as - Accounting (General ledger management, cost and labor tracking, month end closing, nightly processing etc.), shipments (SYSPRO has some add-on modules that do this very well e.g. Cadacus shipment solution etc.), inventory management and assembly, configurable product set-up, order processing and integrations etc.
Not suitable: Large companies or corporations. Out of the box EDI capability is also limited (recommended to pair with a peripheral EDI tool).
VU
Verified User
Professional in Information Technology (201-500 employees)
It is being used across the entire organization along with some customized parts for inventory management and planning.
Pros
It has a very customizable layout. You can set it up for your functionality, and see only the things needed by your position with little effort.
It keeps track of virtually everything.
There are some very good user support groups available.
Cons
It could use some premade printed forms.
It tends to be slow.
The interface looks out of date.
Likelihood to Recommend
It is very good for a manufacturing scenario where you can see production dates, etc. It has great functions when it comes to inventory and different warehouses as well as trends on sales. It is not a good fit for strictly retail business. There is too much functionality that would be wasted.
At my current company, we use SYSPRO mainly for inventory, AP and AR accounting functions.
At my previous job, we used it company-wide.
It has wonderful MRP capabilities.
Pros
Their MRP system works extremely well.
The product is very customizable to meet your company's needs.
Being a fully integrated system makes is work for all departments.
Is very user-friendly.
Cons
Their Projects and Contracts module is not as good as other ERP systems I have used. Tracking by Project for Sales and Purchases is cumbersome as it uses Jobs as the connecting point for the Projects and not the Project ID itself.
They do not have a way to have system to allow Non-Stock Part Codes to be kept in a table that you can use in Purchasing that go to a particular GL code which you can use over and over again. It only has stocking items, and all Items in a Warehouse go to that Warehouse GL code.
Similar to above the GL coding is not on the product but on the Warehouse that product is located in. I prefer it to be by Product not Warehouse.
Likelihood to Recommend
It is great for a job shop environment. It also can work well with a process manufacturer.
Manufacturing is its strong point. I have not used it for a service industry.
The full integration from all modules and the ease in which you can access information allows everyone in the company to be on the same page.
