SYSPRO provides the heartbeat for
Cappella's commercialisation plans

Medical device company Cappella has selected a SYSPRO ERP system from K3 Business Technology Group (K3) to help drive forward its commercialisation plans.

The new fully validated and integrated manufacturing, financial and distribution system will enable the innovative vascular stent manufacturer to service its growing customer base in the UK, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Ken Beatty, Vice President Sales and Operations at Cappella, is an experienced ERP user having implemented SAP and QAD (MFG/PRO) for other companies. He says: "We need a scalable system to support our expansion and SYSPRO provides the exact flexibility we require. Other key features that confirmed our decision to select SYSPRO included the Microsoft .NET architecture and the complete end-to-end traceability function provided by the Lot Traceability module. K3's demonstration of SYSPRO clearly showed that this was the system for us."

Cappella began as a research and development organisation. The company used spreadsheets extensively for managing its business but soon outgrew the manual system when it evolved into a commercial enterprise. Demand for its groundbreaking products means that Cappella must respond quickly to customers.

"With SYSPRO we benefit from a fully automated system that will run our Bill of Materials, routing and inventory efficiently. There will be no more duplication as we can enter information once and gain access to data in real time. Ultimately SYSPRO provides a centralised and unified solution that covers all areas of the business," says Ken Beatty.

Cappella manufactures the Sideguard^® Coronary Sidebranch Stent & Delivery System at its Galway site in Ireland. These are used for treating vascular problems caused by lesions and blockages that occur in the small blood vessels that branch - bifurcate - from main arteries. The stents are inserted into the blood vessels, once reopened, and expanded to maintain blood flow.

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About K3 Business Technology Group

K3 Business Technology Group employs 80 people at its Manchester head office and its branches throughout the UK and Ireland. The company offers solutions in enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management, advanced planning and scheduling, warehouse management, human resources and e-business. SYSPRO is used by some 14,000 sites across the world. K3 Business Technology Group is part of K3 Business Technology PLC which is a global leader in providing next-generation enterprise software for businesses in the retail, manufacturing and distribution sectors. With more than 3,000 customer installations in over 30 countries, K3 is recognised as a safe, innovative and reliable provider of world-class solutions, backed by world-class service.

About Cappella, Inc.

Cappella, Inc. is a medical device company, developing novel solutions for the treatment of complex Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and specifically bifurcation vascular disease. Cappella's initial product, the Sideguard® Coronary Sidebranch Stent & Delivery System offers interventional cardiologists a straightforward, effective solution that focuses on treating the sidebranch of diseased coronary arteries first, rather than the main vessel. More importantly, it allows the preferred stent of choice for the main vessel. An optimal stent design specific to the anatomy of the sidebranch, combined with the qualities of nitinol now provide a dynamic solution for treating sidebranch disease. Cappella Medical Devices Ltd., Galway, Ireland is the R&D and manufacturing subsidiary of Cappella, Inc.  For more information, see: http://www.cappella-med.com/.

For further information, please contact:-

Editorial - Ellen Hoefste, Marketing Manager, K3 Business Technology Group on 0161 876 4498, or Gary Lillistone, Bridge PR on 024 76 520025, or e-mail garyl@bridgepr.co.uk.