Ames Advanced Materials Corporation Selects CAI Software to Optimize Manufacturing and Precious Metal Control
CAI Software, LLC (CAI) and Ames Advanced Materials Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ames Goldsmith Corporation today announced that Ames is using CAI’s PM Manufacturing software to optimize manufacturing efficiency and precious metal control.
CAI’s solution, based on Microsoft’s® Dynamics® Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software and developed specifically for the precious metal industry, provides an integrated foundation that streamlines precious metal refining, manufacturing, inventory control and other business processes.
Originally founded in 1860, Ames Goldsmith’s plant has been in continuous operation as a silver refiner and fabricator for nearly 150 years. Today, the company is a major supplier of silver-based, gold, platinum, palladium and copper products to the global printed electronics, Photovoltaic, EO catalyst refining, photographic and health care industries. Ames Goldsmith’s product line is built around its industry leadership in precious metal-based chemicals and electronic materials. All products are of the highest quality and are produced to stringent specifications and sold from its global sites in the United States, the UK, Japan and Taiwan.
The company has built a strong reputation throughout the world for producing tonnage volumes of high purity silver-based products, including Silver Nitrate, Silver Oxide, Silver Powders, Contact Materials, Silver Flakes and Nano Silver Materials are being used in cutting edge electronics applications. In addition to its silver-based materials, the company produces base metal products.
Ames Goldsmith is ISO 9001:2008 certified and holds a preferred supplier status with many of its customers.
In 2013, Ames Goldsmith Ames Goldsmith acquired precious metals-based powder and flake product lines, manufacturing assets and inventory located in South Plainfield, New Jersey and Tsukuba, Japan. The newly formed business is named Ames Advanced Materials Corporation. With its expanded powder and flake capabilities, Ames Advanced Materials Corporation provides silver, gold, palladium, platinum and base metal products to meet its customers’ growing requirements for high-quality precious metal powders in Photovoltaic, Electronics, and other markets the company serves.
Helping Ames Advanced Materials Corporation Do More—Faster and More Accurately
Mark Grodzki, Chief Financial Officer for Ames Goldsmith Corporation said, “At the time of the acquisition, the New Jersey group was using a highly customized, legacy ERP solution. We were given the opportunity to upgrade the software, however after reviewing alternative solutions we quickly settled on CAI’s NAV software. It was clear right from the start that CAI understood our business and had invested in an industry-specific solution with all the core functionality you’d expect in a Microsoft-based ERP system as well as the precious metal-specific capabilities we were looking for.”
“CAI’s PM Manufacturing software is an integral part of our day-to-day material handling, sampling, fabrication and inventory control processes,” Grodzki added. “Our customers expect a lot from us in terms of product quality and reliability, and the software has allowed us to meet and exceed their high demands.”
From receipt of raw materials and the testing and production and of specialized precious metal-based products to real-time inventory management and final settlement with its customers around the world, CAI’s PM Manufacturing provides Ames with a platform for running their businesses more efficiently and with more control. The software eliminates redundant data entry into multiple systems and helps their entire team work smarter and more accurately.
“We’ve found CAI’s software provides an excellent foundation for tight control of our all aspects of the business and we couldn’t be happier with our decision to implement the software. In fact, since going live on the system in our New Jersey facility, we’ve standardized on the software at both our global headquarters in New York as well as our subsidiary, Catalyst Refiners, Inc. in West Virginia, and we anticipate deploying the solution at our UK facility as well.”
Precious Metal Control System Offers Real-time Inventory Visibility
Ames Goldsmith and CAI worked closely to scope out and develop a comprehensive Precious Metal Control System. This real-time inventory management solution allows Ames to identify and track precious metal material regardless of where it is physically located: inside the plant or at outside refiners, fabricators, banks and customers.
“The Precious Metal Control Systems gives us immediate, real-time information on customer and house lots stored as Work-In-Process (WIP), as well as our exact precious metals position at external locations, including banks, outside refiners or on consignment at customer locations,” Grodzki said. “We can identify every ounce of precious metals by lot or contract number or many other variables, and we’re able to easily handle transfers in and out of vaults or depositories and movements between depositories, and upload lists from external sources (e.g., Banks) and other depositories. At any given time, because we know our exact metal position, we also know if we have enough material or product to complete that day’s commitments as well as a full picture of our true yields.”
Fast and Efficient Software Deployment and Go-Live Maximizes Value
Within 90 days of licensing CAI’s software, Ames Goldsmith was up and running with a fully integrated, modular solution tailored to the company’s unique manufacturing, material handling and financial processes.
Pat Gannon, Vice President at Computer Associates said, “We deployed a team of consultants to understand the nuances of Ames’ operation and carefully plan a software implementation that would be completely seamless transition. It certainly helps that our software is based on Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 intuitive software, with the familiar look-and-feel of the other Microsoft applications Ames had been using. This continuity, and the commitment Ames made to train their staff on the new software, significantly reduced the learning curve.”
“The entire team at Computer Associates has been tremendous to work with, and they have proven to be a great resource as we have continued to utilize the software,” Grodzki said. “As we make suggestions about specific functionality, they listen to our input and have been able to implement timely software modifications that address our needs.“
CAI’s software is used by some of the most successful companies in the industry to refine and manufacture precious metal-based chemicals, electronic materials and other products that are used in multiple commercial industries. The software offers a single, integrated solution to optimize manufacturing processes and improve precious metal recovery and inventory management.
“We’re very proud of the successful partnerships that we have cultivated over our more than 15 years in the global precious metal industry,” Gannon added. “To be chosen by a world-class organization like Ames Goldsmith to assist in their growth and to help them continue to develop the highest quality precious metal-based products is a great honor.”
About Ames Goldsmith Corporation and Ames Advanced Materials Corporation
Headquartered in South Glen Falls, New York and founded in 1860, Ames Goldsmith Corporation has been in continuous operation as a silver refiner and fabricator for more than 150 years. Today the company is a major supplier of silver-based, gold, platinum, palladium and copper products to the global printed electronics, EO catalyst refining, photographic and health care industries. With an annual silver consumption well in excess of 100M troy ounces, the company is one of the largest integrated silver fabricators in the world.
Ames Goldsmith Corporation is a multinational, privately held Company, employing more than 275 dedicated people in seven facilities located in four countries. The company’s includes two wholly owned subsidiaries; Ames Advanced Materials Corporation and Catalyst Refiners, Inc., which provides a variety of silver oxide and refining services on a global basis. For more information, please visit: www.amesgoldsmith.com.
About CAI
CAI has been providing software solutions to the precious metals industry for more than 35 years. Our clients, located throughout the U.S. and Europe, have given us an in-depth understanding of industry-best practices, and allowed us to provide business-specific software tools that drive profitability. CAI’s Windows-based ERP software solutions help our customer streamline production, inventory control, settlements, payments and other business processes. Based on Microsoft’s® Dynamics® Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, CAI’s products have completed Microsoft’s® Certified for Microsoft Dynamics (CfMD) program and been recognized by Microsoft as having met their highest standards for Dynamics® implementations.