Multi Million Dollar Distribution Company Implements Hosted Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP System in Just 12 Weeks With Zero Interruption to Customers

When the office products division of Stanley Black & Decker decided to spin off as a separate company and announced that they would have a new ERP system implemented in 12 weeks, with no interruption to their multi million dollar business, most people told them it could not be done. Their goal was to shut done the Stanley systems on a Friday and flip the switch on Monday to start processing orders and shipping product from the new Amax systems. Any delay would have been catastrophic to their business. At the same time, Amax had to keep operations running, find a new CFO, set up two new distribution centers and renegotiate a multiyear contract with one of its largest customers.  Could it be done?

AMAX was looking for an out-of-the-box solution that could be implemented quickly without a lot of customization but could still handle some of the complexities and volume of a business of its size. They chose Microsoft Dynamics GP with Vsync for EDI and SalesPad for the sales and customer service users. To meet their aggressive time schedule, Amax needed to be able to rely on a strong partner to manage the ERP implementation project from start to finish.  They chose CAL Business Solutions, a Connecticut Microsoft Dynamics GP partner.

In a panel session at Convergence 2011 Gary Blanchette, Vice President of Amax recalls, “We looked at several partners. Some had all the buzzwords and platitudes. But when speaking with CAL one of the things we thought is that these were really “nuts and bolts” guys. They were not scared of the timeline. They were very organized in their structure and they had the resources to support the gaps in our team to make the project work and get it done on time.  We wanted people who were implementers, we didn’t need business consultants.  We know how to operate this business, we needed someone to implement the systems and make sure it worked. We explained to CAL how we wanted it to work, and they made it happen. The competency of our Dynamics partner was key.”

With the help of CAL Business Solutions Amax achieved their goal. Amax implemented Microsoft Dynamics GP in 12 weeks flat and has been running smoothly in the cloud ever since.

“CAL had a great project plan. The data migration was very smooth. The whole thing went smoothly and was incredibly structured. Everything worked Monday morning and it was seamless to the customer. It truly went off without a glitch,” says Blanchette.

When asked about the key benefits from their new Dynamics GP system, Gary Blanchette commented:

1)      Efficiency:  “We have efficiency across the entire organization and we function more efficiently than we ever have before. Because the system is easy to learn and navigate, it is easy to get information out that you need in a very timely manner. Customer service process orders more efficiently than even before.  This efficiency equates to getting more done with less people so we can move them to areas that drive revenue growth like new product development.   We wanted a system to truly manage financial side of the business, and have it be robust enough that we can trust in it, so that our growth and efforts can be focused on growth and driving the business.”

2)      Real Time Reporting:  “Thanks to Dynamics GP we know the true cost of inventory.  We trust the system and the data that is in there. We have ability to access data and trust it.”

3)      Remote Access: “Because our system is in the cloud we can access it anywhere in the world and work remotely much more efficiently. Our sales reps travel nationally and we have satellite workers and a parent company in Taiwan. They can all access the system easily to   check inventory in stock or check on returns.  And our parent company can plan production.”

4)      Reliability:  “We can rely on the system to be up and running and give us accurate info every day is critical. We can’t afford downtime. It has been 2 years since we flipped the switch and we have had no downtime.”

You can read a full Microsoft case study here: Office Products Distributor Optimizes Finances With Easy-to-Implement ERP Solution

CAL Business Solutions works with more than 75 distribution and light manufacturing companies in Connecticut and across the USA. Our clients use Microsoft Dynamics GP + SalesPad as a full featured yet affordable supply chain management system that connects sales, warehousing, purchasing, and finance.  Our clients love that it includes interactive sales analysis tools, business intelligence dashboards, light order management CRM and flexible workflows. If you are a distribution company that is looking for a new ERP system, contact CAL Business Solutions.

Read more case studies on successful Microsoft Dynamics GP installations.

By CAL Business Solutions, Connecticut. Microsoft Dynamics GP Partner