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How Lecapell runs its production on one ERP.

The specialist in leather finishing and leather steering wheels has grown fast. With NAVAX, the family business introduced an ERP for manufacturing close to the standard: Microsoft Dynamics NAV, now Business Central. Since then, every department works in one open system that grows with the company.

Lecapell logo
Customer
Lecapell
Industry
Manufacturing · Automotive supplier
Solution
ERP · Microsoft Dynamics NAV / Business Central
Topics
AutomationData qualityCost accounting
The project in 30 seconds
  1. Challenge

    Lecapell grew fast, above all with leather steering wheels for the automotive industry. Isolated systems made costs, maintenance and customer contact hard to oversee.

  2. Solution

    NAVAX introduced Microsoft Dynamics NAV step by step: warehouse and accounting first, then production, automotive & EDI, HR and cost accounting.

  3. Result

    No process runs outside the ERP any more. Around 80% of postings are automatic, delivery notes are created without typing, costs per machine are transparent.

The project in numbers
80%
of postings run automatically
Sept. 2010
go-live without complications, on schedule
1 platform
for purchasing, warehouse, production, sales and finance
Since 2009
the ERP has grown with Lecapell
Challenge and solution

From isolated systems to one ERP for manufacturing.

What used to run separately and how it now works together in one system, from the mixing plant to the delivery note.

  1. 01Data
    Before

    Many isolated systems

    The existing systems were hard to oversee and not connected. Data was entered more than once, and there was no overall picture.

    With Microsoft Dynamics NAV

    One central database

    Purchasing, warehouse, production, sales and finance run on one platform. Production reports in real time, and stock levels are correct.

  2. 02Maintenance
    Before

    Maintenance without planning

    Without automated planning, maintenance was error-prone, and product quality suffered.

    With Microsoft Dynamics NAV

    Maintenance by machine cycle

    Machine cycles are stored in the ERP, and the system sends reminders for every service in time. Add-ons prevent input errors, on-the-spot training secures quality.

  3. 03Costs
    Before

    No cost overview

    Energy, maintenance, labour and depreciation of the machines could not be brought together in one view.

    With Microsoft Dynamics NAV

    Costs per machine

    Standard cost accounting combines all costs of each machine. Lecapell sees what every machine costs.

How the project ran

Started small, expanded step by step.

The company aligned its processes with the standard, not the other way round. The ERP has grown with every stage.

  1. 2009

    Selection and analysis

    After a selection process, management chose Microsoft Dynamics NAV and NAVAX. Decisive were process fit, scalability and personal support.

  2. September 2010

    Go-live warehouse and accounting

    Start with 8 users. After training, Lecapell migrated the data itself: every item was created anew and assigned to a category.

  3. 2011 to 2015

    Production, automotive and HR

    Production moves into the ERP, followed by automotive & EDI for call-offs and blanket orders, payroll and time recording, and a training module.

  4. 2016

    Cost accounting and upgrade

    Cost accounting per machine with the standard module, upgrade from Dynamics NAV 2009 to 2016 and Outlook integration via Office 365.

All add-on modules are standardized and certified by the vendor. For an automotive supplier, that matters.

Insights

Lecapell in pictures.

Lecapell company building with the logo on the facade
Leather-covered cubes in many colours and embossings on a wall
Coloured leather hides hanging side by side on rails
  1. 1The site in Waizenkirchen, Upper Austria, with the production hall built in 2012.
  2. 2Finished leather in colours, embossings and surfaces.
  3. 3Leather hides for fashion, furniture and automotive.

“Our goal was to invest in an open system that grows with us, and to have a partner at our side who meets our special requirements. In NAVAX, we found this advisory partner with an understanding of processes, who supports us very professionally over the long term, has always found a solution together with us and will surely continue to do so. The project management on both sides, which works perfectly, contributes significantly to this. I am already looking forward to the upcoming projects.”

Wolfgang Lehner-MayrhoferWolfgang Lehner-MayrhoferOwner and Managing Director, Lecapell
Self-check

Is your ERP ready for production?

An ERP in manufacturing only works when data, costs and processes come together in it. Four points from the Lecapell project to check your system against.

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The customer

About Lecapell.

For three decades, Lecapell GmbH, a second-generation family business based in Waizenkirchen (Upper Austria), has focused exclusively on finishing leather. Initially it produced only for the fashion and furniture industries, with a focus on high quality, fashionable aesthetics and a pleasant feel.

The breakthrough in the automotive industry came in 1998, and in 2001 the first car with a Lecapell leather steering wheel left the plant. Today more than 12 million Lecapell leather steering wheels are on the road worldwide. A leather with a truly unique character has its own brand name: “pellskin”.

12m
leather steering wheels on the road worldwide
120
employees
3,200 m²
production hall, built in 2012
ISO 14001
certified since 2017, plus ISO 9001
More customer stories

What changed for others.

Want an ERP that grows with you?

We start with your production processes and expand the system step by step, close to the standard and with a partner who stays.