New technology innovation can transform business performance. Yet for those considering adding functionality to core ERP solutions such as Sage 200, including Purchase Order Processing (POP) and Document Management Systems (DMS), the challenge is to implement technology without affecting on-going business activity. CPiO talked to Edgetech UK to understand the best approach.
At a time when many companies are now experiencing growth – and the associated headaches that it can bring – there is a clear need to get the right balance between investing in the right technology at the right time and avoiding the upheaval associated with software implementation that may delay expansion.
For successful manufacturer Edgetech UK, the recent integration of POP and the planned integration of the WMS with Sage 200 using Sage Live Link will provide greater operational control and efficiency. By reducing manual interaction the company is transforming the quality of data and drastically reducing the time currently spent checking and correcting stock figures.
However, achieving this integration has taken far longer than originally planned – and one of the biggest problems was allocating responsibility for managing the new implementation project. As the company discovered, expecting a Director to add this role to an already full schedule simply did not work.
John Stark, Works Manager, explains, “Initially the POP project was in the hands of one individual who already had a number of senior responsibilities across the business, so it just was not a priority.” With the company’s IT support delivered by its US head office, there was no one in the UK actively pushing the development forward, despite the widespread agreement that POP was a key initiative.
In 2014, after several months of missed deadlines and delay, the company decided to employ a dedicated project manager to oversee the implementation of both POP and WMS – and as a result, both projects were achieved within months. Dominic Moules, Financial Controller, adds, “We have recognised the importance of invest and commit. In addition to prioritising by putting one person in full time charge of such key projects, Edgetech has also recognised the need to spend resources to do things properly – such as having people trained in the new systems at the right time in the process. With the right model, the speed with which business change can be achieved is impressive.
*Please note, Sage 200 has now been rebranded as Sage 200cloud (January 2018)