Elio Motors chooses IQMS ERP as single system for managing processes

Feb. 17, 2016 – IQMS, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and manufacturing execution system (MES) company, has announced that automotive manufacturer Elio Motors has selected IQMS’ flagship product, EnterpriseIQ. Elio Motors, which is anticipating the rollout of its three-wheeled motor vehicle in Q4 2016, is implementing EnterpriseIQ to “provide a single system for managing the company’s processes and obtaining complete, accurate information to support decision-making.”

Founded by car enthusiast Paul Elio in 2009, Elio Motors’ vision is to “reinvent transportation by designing a safe, fun-to-drive, affordable, and environmentally friendly vehicle.” Its end result is the Elio, a three-wheeled, two-seat vehicle, projected to achieve up to 84 MPG. Production of the vehicle is set to take place in a former GM production facility in Shreveport, La.

During the initial years of design, development and testing, Elio Motors relied on different applications to manage the company’s processes. Finance used a combination of QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, while marketing maintained a separate database for customer information. According to the automaker, reconciling the information manually did not require significant time, however, they decided that the current model would not be sufficient in dealing with significant growth once the company moves into production.
 
Elio Motors was interested in attaining a single system for managing all of its processes, from finance and marketing to manufacturing, engineering, quality, training and human resources. It also realized that it would be a strategic advantage to plan and implement its manufacturing system in conjunction with the setup of its manufacturing operations, even as it used the software to support its existing business needs, it explains. A review of various ERP solutions on the market led to IQMS and its EnterpriseIQ software, says company representatives.
 
“We appreciated that IQMS had a specific focus on the automotive industry, and we viewed the real-time production monitoring portion to be the true strength of the system — especially how it interfaces with the rest of the system to allow for quick, up to date, in-depth review of the production floor,” says Shane Stirmers, finance manager for Elio Motors. “Additionally, EnterpriseIQ will require limited modifications for us to use as the backbone of the company, and there is considerable flexibility in the system, which will allow us to grow.”