B&K Corporation Earns 2007 Summit Award at Consona Customer Conference

Company Uses Encompix® ERP to Grow Sales Volume, Reduce Customer Complaints and Increase Engineering Capacity; Wins Best Overall Use Award
  

ORLANDO, INDIANAPOLIS and Saginaw, Mich., Oct. 16, 2007—Consona Corporation (Consona), a worldwide leader in providing customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and services for the enterprise, announced at its premier customer conference, Consona Connect, that B&K Corporation (B&K), a Saginaw, Mich.-based Encompix ERP customer and leader in the engineering and manufacturing of test and assembly systems for engines, axles, transmissions, and automotive components, is the 2007 recipient of the software provider’s Best Overall Use Award.

The Best Overall Use Award, part of Consona’s annual Summit Awards, honors a customer that has demonstrated excellence in utilizing multiple products (modules, features, add-on, third-party) and services from Consona. Recipients of the award submit both qualitative and quantitative data that illustrate how the solution has improved the customer’s overall business performance. Award recipients display full use of both core and add-on solutions, steady business growth, a strong return on investment, and a passion for implementing and mastering new technologies.

B&K’s power train assembly and test systems are used by a veritable “who’s who” of the automotive industry, including General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Nissan, Caterpillar, Harley Davidson, Visteon, John Deere, Magna, and more. B&K’s manual and paper-intensive processes, which sometimes forced management to review notebooks full of three-week old data, were causing the company to become concerned with cost management, engineering controls, and documentation within an increasingly competitive global marketplace.

After deciding the company needed to upgrade to a new ERP system, a B&K cross-functional team determined that Encompix ERP offered what the company needed: an integrated, project and engineering-oriented ERP system that would support B&K’s drive for standardization, real-time information, and good manufacturing controls.

After implementing Encompix ERP, B&K has grown its sales volume by 40 percent, including the introduction of new products to the assembly side of the business, while maintaining the same level of full time employees. In addition, the company:

• Improved on-time deliveries from 75 percent to 95 percent.
• Reduced customer complaints by 50 percent.
• Decreased cost for some products by 20 percent.
• Reduced time-to-purchase for make-to-order details by a factor of five.
• Increased engineering capacity by a factor of four.

“Our customers are impressed with our ability to control large and small projects without losing focus on small details or the big picture,” said Lev Mondrusov, production control manager for B&K.

“We are thrilled to honor B&K with a Summit Award for some absolutely tremendous achievements," said Jeff Tognoni, CEO of Consona. "B&K sets a standard for the commitment it takes to gain maximum return on a business system investment. The growth and success this company has achieved with our support reminds all of us at Consona why we're in business."

About Consona Corporation
Consona Corporation (Consona, formerly known as M2M Holdings Inc.) is a worldwide leader in providing customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and services for the enterprise. Consona is dedicated to becoming a valued business partner by helping each and every customer continuously improve business processes over time. Toward this mission, Consona invests in the people, processes, technology and tools needed to provide its customers with a unique combination of customer care; product fit; a broad range of consulting, IT and business services; and industry expertise. Consona serves more than 4,500 customers worldwide and across a variety of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, financial services, health care, high tech, and local government. Battery Ventures and Thoma Cressey Bravo jointly own Consona. For further information, visit www.consona.com, e-mail info@consona.com, or call (888) 8 CONSONA.

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