Glas Natter started using LiSEC order management and production control software as early as 1992. Since then, their business relation has developed into a long-term partnership celebrating an important anniversary this year: For the last 20 years the Bavarian company with a long-standing tradition has relied on automation and software products from LiSEC to support all of the company's sales and production processes.
Glas Natter started manufacturing insulating glass with machines from LiSEC in 1978. Back then the company only used LiSEC's manual butyl extruder. Today they have two fully automatic insulating glass production lines, including an automatic filling system for spacer frames, a frame bender and a butyl application machine. The cutting system Glas Natter purchased from LiSEC is made up of a special cutting table for thick laminated safety glass and a combined float and laminated glass cutting table.
Computerised order management and production control
Furthermore, Glas Natter has used automation and software systems from LiSEC since 1992, including GPS.order for order management and GPS.prod for production control. By visualising all major order management processes, GPS.order considerably reduces the company's administrative workload. The software offers a direct customer interface, a quotation tool taking all relevant production and overall costs into account, automatic invoicing, the transfer of orders to production, management of raw materials, as well as assessing the efficiency of production. "We were one of the first clients to use the then new LiSEC software systems. We are still satisfied and using them successfully," Rosemarie Natter, CEO of Glas Natter GmbH, says.
A quicker and easier way to the finished product
GPS.prod helps Glas Natter organise and optimise the entire production process, starting from the jumbo-sized sheet stored in the warehouse and the sealed insulating glass unit through to delivery. GPS.prod facilitates production planning and scheduling, as well as optimises glass cutting. It also manages remakes, organises the tracking of materials and schedules production with a capacity planning tool. "GPS.prod helps us record orders exactly in terms of the schedule and specific machinery used. This has allowed us to further optimise our production processes and save costs across the entire range of products," Gerhard Köhl, Production Manager of Glas Natter GmbH, explains.
Data management and data transfer made easy
Glas Natter uses the LiSEC GPS.lineserver control, which directly transfers data from production planning to the plant. This tool visualises each insulating glass unit and provides not only important information on the glass unit itself and its structure, but also textual information. Furthermore, it displays Georgian bars/muntins and the machine status. Operators also have the possibility to enter single sheets or production runs directly on the line and to identify rejected or defective sheets.
An all-in-one supplier with a broad product range
Glas Natter manufactures high-quality insulating glass units in all its variants up to a stock size of 6,000 x 3,210 millimetres using innovative glass machinery and software systems from LiSEC. Their product range includes insulating glass with built-in blinds, ground float and laminated safety glass, cast glass, mirrors, heat strengthened and tempered safety glass. Moreover, Glas Natter offers special products, for example within the field of refrigeration units. A number of customer testimonials, including by The 7 Seven, Riem Arcaden, Nymphenburger Höfe, Bayrischer Rundfunk Munich, Arcaden Regensburg, Ingolstadt- and Wertheim-Village, Gänsemarkt Hamburg and Kongresszentrum Altötting, give proof of Glas Natter's high level of expertise.
Competence from a single source
"We've used machines and software from LiSEC for 34 years now, and it stands to reason to purchase both products from the same source. We've had a very good experience with the overall package and don't see a reason why to change this in the future," Rosemarie Natter describes the successful partnership. The long-established company continues to rely on the Austrian manufacturer. "LiSEC employees have always taken our demands and wishes seriously, they provide comprehensive consulting and always help us find and implement individual solutions. Furthermore, quick response times, the fast delivery of spare parts, an effective remote maintenance system and good personal contacts substantially contribute to our satisfaction. In addition, the proximity of the two companies ensures reliable service," Rosemarie Natter says.
Competitiveness through software solutions
Software, along with a company's dependency on staff being able to operate it, is a significant cost factor. But still, intelligent solutions for order management and production control are crucial, particularly for companies with a diverse range of products. LiSEC software solutions are based on a modular design which can be adapted to the needs and product range of its users. "We've kept extending and optimising our systems together with LiSEC. Today we carry out all administrative, commercial and technical tasks fully using automation tools from LiSEC. They've been tried and tested for many years, are precisely matched to our needs and work nearly perfectly," Petra Eckl, Executive Manager of Glas Natter, says.
Glas Natter was founded by Hans Natter Sr in Regensburg, Germany, in 1940. The company is a wholesaler of flat glass, mirrors, countertops, interior fittings, glazing tools, car windows and all other kinds of glazing. In 1975, the trading company and the glazier's workshop were complemented with an insulating glass production site, which today generates approximately 80 percent of the company's total turnover.
