Manufacturing Specialist Optimises Its Business with New ...



Overview

Country or Region: France

Industry: Specialty Retail

Customer Profile

French manufacturer Polymark specialises in textile and professional clothing identification, and distributes industrial laundry supplies.

Business Situation

The enterprise resource planning (ERP) system at Polymark had become cumbersome and inefficient. To support business growth, Polymark needed a new business management solution that was user-friendly, and would easily integrate and adapt to future business demands.

Solution

The company deployed Microsoft® Business Solutions−Axapta®, now part of Microsoft Dynamics™ and Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000.

Benefits

■ Easy integration of after-sales system

■ Cost-effective, flexible solution

■ Quick and easy implementation

■ Clearer visibility of data across business

■ Inspires future expansion

| | |“Our users are very happy with our new solution. We have gained clearer handling of service issues and are now reaping the benefits of a more flexible and user-friendly business management system.”

Ian Elliott, Chief Executive Officer, Polymark France

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| | | |When French manufacturer Polymark restructured its business, it realised it had outgrown its |

| | | |management software. Changes in the organisation revealed the technology’s limited capacity, so to |

| | | |support company growth, Polymark was keen to integrate its applications into a new, more scalable |

| | | |solution. Polymark worked with Microsoft® Certified Partner TVH Consulting to implement business |

| | | |management software Microsoft® Business Solutions−Axapta®, now part of Microsoft Dynamics™. By |

| | | |replacing its warehouse management system with the new business management solution, Polymark gained |

| | | |increased functionality and greater control over its business. Microsoft Axapta is easy-to-use and |

| | | |has the flexibility to adjust to the different product ranges, from laundry machines to heat presses |

| | | |quickly. Now Polymark can supply its customers with exactly what they need, faster. |

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Situation

French-based Polymark is a world leader in the manufacture and distribution of a wide range of industrial laundry equipment. Also present in the United Kingdom and Belgium, the company has developed its own technology to produce a range of heat-fusible transfers for the textile and garment industry. The range includes tapes and badges particularly suited for use in commercial laundries, hospitals, hotels, and by work-wear manufacturers.

After a company restructure, Polymark France realised its current management software program, Movex, was too cumbersome. It had reached its full capacity and would no longer sustain additional operations. The company needed to implement a new business management system that would adapt to its needs and developments, and meet customer demands, while maintaining similar procedures for easy usability.

Ian Elliott, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Polymark, says: “We wanted a business management system that was more user-friendly, easier to understand, and more open and integrated with our back-office systems.”

In particular, Polymark wanted to integrate its after-sales service into the new solution. Elliott says: “We needed to manage customer services more efficiently and install an after-sales monitoring system that could record actions taken or required.”

The new solution had to guarantee a smooth transition from the old system, without taking a backward step in functionality. Polymark also wanted to ensure its manufacturing operations could be enhanced to boost profits, by adapting more easily to customers’ requirements.

Solution

Polymark worked with Microsoft® Certified Partner TVH Consulting to research available products, and identify the company’s problems and needs.

“We chose to work with TVH Consulting because we knew it had excellent knowledge of business management solutions,” says Elliott. TVH Consulting tailored and rolled out Microsoft Business Solutions─Axapta®, now part of Microsoft Dynamics™, supported by a Microsoft SQL Server™ 2000 database solution.

Designed for mid-size to large companies, Microsoft Axapta is a multi-language, multi-currency business management solution. With its core strengths in manufacturing and e-business, it offers strong functionality for the wholesale and services industries. Microsoft Axapta offers easy-to-use, integrated accounting and financial management, stock management, purchase management, sales management, and production management functionalities.

Elliott says: “The setting and testing phases were conducted at our pace at different stages during a three-month period.” This period allowed both Polymark and TVH Consulting to refine the settings on Microsoft Axapta to best suit Polymark’s requirements.

TVH Consulting also formulated an after-sales management module that was integrated into Microsoft Axapta, a process that took less than 10 days. Elliott says: “This solution helps us handle after-sale services and monitor them appropriately. Plus sales can now be invoiced directly within the sales management team.”

The new, centralised system reduces the complexity of business management for Polymark. All authorised users can access information across company departments. The ten users access the sales management, warehousing and logistics management, accounts, purchase management, and after-sales service management modules on a daily basis.

Elliott says: “Because we operate with a range of mixed products and services, Microsoft Axapta is a cost-effective solution for us to meet customer demands quickly and reduce paper-based processes.”

Relational database management system SQL Server 2000 was also deployed quickly and data was transferred smoothly. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 offers secure, reliable storage for both relational and structured data. Polymark can build and manage highly available, performance data applications that will scale to meet business growth into the future.

Benefits

Customised Module Integrates Easily and Boosts Customer Service

The after-sales service management module was specifically tailored to fit Polymark’s needs, and easily integrated into the Microsoft Axapta solution and has successfully boosted customer service.

Sales and customer data needs to be entered into the system only once, reducing duplication of effort, and the potential for errors. The data, which is now stored electronically, is always accurate and up-to-date and consistent across all areas and departments. Authorised users throughout the business can see an entire history of customer transactions, helping them to streamline future transaction procedures and ensure faster, more informed customer services.

Recording sales information as sales happen ensures stock data is also up to date, resulting in more efficient stock management, and significantly reducing any risk of the business running out of supplies and delaying production. “Thanks to Microsoft Axapta, we now have a clearer visibility of our services, helping users become more efficient and giving us a better insight into our business and the decisions we need to take,” says Elliott. “We can also drive more value from our relationships with customers and suppliers.”

Integration of New Server and Business Management Software Promotes Business Continuity

The integration of Microsoft Axapta and Microsoft SQL Server has improved the performance and backup features of the system and reduced the potential for application downtime. In addition, performance maintenance can be carried out without causing any disruption to business operations and productivity.

Far more user-friendly than the previous system, Microsoft Axapta gives Polymark employees access to accurate, real-time reports without the need for the IT department’s assistance, freeing up the technical team to focus on more value-added tasks.

“The reports offer a valuable insight into company processes, costs, and transaction histories, helping managers make more informed decisions about stock management, staffing needs, or finances,” says Elliott.

Quick and Easy Implementation Proves Cost-Effective

A fast and efficient implementation ensured virtually no disruption to business continuity. In addition, the roll-out of SQL Server 2000 provided Polymark with an almost immediate, robust enterprise data management solution.

Elliott says: “We migrated to SQL Server 2000 without losing any data at all. The migration took place over a weekend, minimising the inconvenience to users. The data retrieval update was accomplished in a day.”

Technology Familiarity Lowers Training Costs and Inspires User Confidence

Microsoft Axapta can be easily adapted for integration with a wide range of back-end products. The solution’s easy-to-use interface, and the fact that it mirrors the tools that employees were already familiar with, keeps training costs down, helping them adapt quickly and easily. Training sessions were spread out over just two months.

Elliott says: “Our users are very happy with our new solution. We have gained clearer handling of service issues and are now reaping the benefits of a more flexible and user-friendly business management system.

“Our IT director is now completely independent when it comes to the solution settings, but in case of any solution issues arising, we have a hotline to TVH Consulting and an extranet for additional support and peace of mind.”

Cost-Effective Solution Supports Business into the Future

Thanks to the scalability of Microsoft Axapta, Polymark can expand its operations worldwide without being restricted by its technology. Designed to adapt cost-effectively as the business grows, the technology ensures that Polymark can alter or add business processes rapidly to capitalise on new opportunities.

Additional features and functionality can be added as required, offering Polymark a low total cost of ownership (TCO) over its business management software. Elliott says: “This solution provides modern, efficient, and fast technology, and new procedures can be formulated in a matter of days.”

The solution’s scalability has inspired the company to look at additional functionality in the future. Due to the success of this first project, Polymark intends to continue creating a competitive edge with Microsoft Axapta. Elliott says: “We expect to invest in the customer relationship management (CRM) module, and we have already been impressed by a demonstration by TVH Consulting.”

Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of integrated, adaptable business management solutions that enables you and your people to make business decisions with greater confidence. Microsoft Dynamics works like familiar Microsoft software such as Microsoft Office, which means less of a learning curve for your people, so they can get up and running quickly and focus on what’s most important. And because it is from Microsoft, it easily works with the systems your company already has implemented. By automating and streamlining financial, customer relationship and supply chain processes, Microsoft Dynamics brings together people, processes and technologies, increasing the productivity and effectiveness of your business, and helping you drive business success. 

For more information about Microsoft Dynamics, go to:

dynamics

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| |Software and Services

■ Microsoft Dynamics |Microsoft Business Solutions–Axapta | |

“This solution provides modern, efficient, and fast technology, and new procedures can be formulated in a matter of days.”

Ian Elliott, Chief Executive Officer,

Polymark | |

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, Axapta, Microsoft Dynamics, the Microsoft Dynamics logo, Windows, the Windows logo, Windows Server, and Windows Server System are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation or Microsoft Business Solutions ApS in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft Business Solutions ApS is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Document published March 2006 | | |

For More Information

For more information about Microsoft products and services, call the Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft Canada Information Centre at (877) 568-2495. Customers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can reach Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) 892-5234 in the United States or (905) 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 United States and Canada, please contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. To access information using the World Wide Web, go to:

For more information about TVH Consulting products and services, call +33 (0)1 34 93 17 27 or visit the Web site at:

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"Thanks to Microsoft Axapta, we now have a clearer visibility of our services, helping users become more efficient and giving us a better insight into our business."

Ian Elliott, Chief Executive Officer,

Polymark | |

“We wanted a business management system that was more user-friendly, easier to understand, and more open and integrated with our back-office systems.”

Ian Elliott, Chief Executive Officer,

Polymark

| |

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